The Fine Print
by apiegohome
Summary: Sequel to On One Condition - His father's debt paid in full and their night together still fresh on his mind, Ventus convinces himself it's for the best when he decides to get on with his life and never see the infamous Yakuza boss, Vanitas Ishi ever again. It's all well and good he's so determined, now if only Vanitas would take no for an answer... Vanitas x Ventus
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Time really got away from me on this one! I had a fair bit of trouble with the outline but finally I feel like this is a continuation that at least does the original story _some_ justice, and gives these two some closure. I really hope you guys enjoy this! I'll try to keep the wait between chapters to a minimum.

 **JUST A NOTE ABOUT GUEST REVIEWS.** Fanfiction doesn't allow me to reply to Guest reviews! So if you leave me one (which I appreciate) just know I can't send you a reply :(

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 **Chapter One.**

Closing his eyes, Ventus adjusted his grip on the hanging strap above him and let the gentle rocking of the train lull him into a comfortable doze. Since returning to Tokyo and beginning his new job, he'd always made it a part of his regular routine to stay behind after his last class and go over his future lesson plans or mark a few assignments, but today he'd felt like braving the crush. It was just after six in the evening and the peak of rush hour on the subway, which was what he usually tended to avoid, but with his third week at his new post nearly over, Ventus thought it'd be nice to be home early for once, and before the sun had fully set as well. It wasn't like working as an English teacher in a girl's school was particularly strenuous, but the obvious exhaustion he'd felt today had seemed more to do with the fact that he hadn't been feeling quite like himself lately, _something_ just… not _right_ at all _._ He couldn't put his finger on it exactly, or pinpoint when this disquieted feeling had first begun, but he as sure as hell knew the root cause of it.

If he was being even half honest with himself, _nothing_ seemed to feel right anymore, not since that _insufferable_ man had successfully barged his way back into his life.

 _Vanitas Ishi_ , the very bane of his existence, now plagued most, if not all of Ventus' waking thoughts.

Ventus opened his eyes tiredly and stared blankly through the gaps in people's heads over to the glass windows of the train carriage. He could just make out his own reflection amongst a sea of faces, the colour of his eyes dulled by the tint of the glass.

The train shuddered to a stop, an automated voice announcing the station name as commuters poured out the doors like a human wave, just as many people now pushing to get back on and take their vacated places. Ventus was jostled slightly from his position, but still managed to keep his handhold as he resituated himself and adjusted the strap of the backpack on his shoulder. Everyone now packed in like sardines, the doors of the carriage smoothly slid shut again and the train jolted forwards once more.

The morning after that night, Ventus had somehow managed to make his way back to his apartment without incident. He couldn't exactly recall how he'd gotten himself there, but the next thing he'd known was standing motionless in the middle of his living room, oddly staring down at his hands. He ended up sitting in his shower for what seemed like hours, the water falling gently onto his shoulders, his fingers playing over the marks he knew to be there, along the sides of his neck and across his chest. Later, he'd been a mess all over again worrying about how he was going to cover up the more noticeable ones for his first week of work – what would his students say if they caught sight of them? It didn't help at all knowing Vanitas had most likely left them all on purpose.

And then there were the memories.

All he had to do was have a single moment to himself and Vanitas' cold, arrogant demeanour would melt away, Ventus now tortuously fixated on remembering Vanitas quietly gasping his name with something akin to reverence, his eyes laying bare the emotion and feelings he still obviously harboured. No matter where he was, or what he was doing, Ventus would be completely lost just recalling the intimacy of Vanitas' heated touches along his skin, the near desperation of their lips melding perfectly against each other, over and _over_ again…

It just wasn't _fair_ , and that's why Ventus was so angry.

It was like someone had pulled the stitches of an old wound and wriggled their sharpened fingernails into it. Pain he'd felt long ago, that he'd thought was nothing but a distant memory, now stood out fresh in his mind. He might as well have walked out on Vanitas yesterday for all his heart understood.

And perhaps, he had considered his relationship with Vanitas, ' _unfinished business',_ that maybe, there had been far too much left unsaid between them for him to just leave it, but finding himself waking up alone that morning had all but cemented his resolve. With the parameters of their agreement met, Vanitas hadn't felt the need, nor want to stay in his company any longer, choosing to leave without so much as a single, parting word. In hindsight, Ventus could definitely agree that waking up with Vanitas still beside him would have been incredibly awkward, but it would have been a far better conclusion to what they had between them now. Vanitas had given him his word that he would never contact him again after their arrangement had come to an end, so all Ventus was left with for closure was indefinite silence.

That, and six years of _festering bad blood._

The train once again slowed to a stop, Ventus only paying half a mind that his station was now only three stops away. With the ongoing shuffle of people vacating and then others entering, Ventus slowly made his way over closer to the doors. Suited businessmen and high school-aged children pressed in on him from all sides, the air-conditioning of the carriage constantly battling to make a difference against so much concentrated body heat. Ventus sighed heavily through his nose and closed his eyes again. It wouldn't be long before he'd be comfortable at home, so for now he just had to bear it.

Try as he might to fight the compulsion, Ventus had typed Vanitas' name into Google the first chance he got. The search engine had been immediately inundated with page after page of damning information: news reports, countless articles, and – God's help him, _even_ his own _Wikipedia page_. Ventus knew Wikipedia wasn't always an appropriate source for correct information, but it could be proven factual with enough references. Such was the case with Vanitas' biography. There were even _pictures._ As soon as he clicked into it, a recent photo of Vanitas with his eyes cold and dead, leapt out of the screen at him.

Vanitas Ishi, (also known by his various aliases: _Void Gear, the Black Dragon, Ishi-Oni,_ and formally _'the Delivery Boy')_ was the only adoptive son to the late Xehanort Ishi, who was the former _Oyabun_ of the _Ishi-kai._ Ventus strangely felt a grim sense of satisfaction seeing that Vanitas' life before joining the criminal organisation was largely unknown, but his apprehension only grew worse as he continued to read on, Vanitas' exploits before and after becoming the new _Ishi-kai_ boss far too detailed for his liking.

Vanitas had started out like most _Yakuza,_ as a low-ranking member who dealt with debt collection and local gambling rackets, but as a former, anonymous member of the _Ishi-kai_ had informed police, Vanitas somehow managed to successfully pique Xehanort's interest, who never, if at all, ever paid attention to the small-fry. Vanitas became known as Xehanort's 'delivery boy' _,_ and would often be personally tasked with specialty 'clean up' jobs where he'd be sent out as an assassin. Ventus felt sick just reading that Vanitas' so called 'signature' calling card was _disembowelling,_ where he'd then _wrap_ the intestines around the victim's _neck_. The article even had the gall to describe Vanitas' kills as ' _always_ clean and precise', which was disturbing beyond belief when he couldn't help but imagine how disgustingly messy throttling someone with their own entrails would be. Pushing on, Ventus discovered that Xehanort had indeed officially adopted Vanitas as his son and named him his _first lieutenant_ , just shy of his 21st birthday – only four years after him becoming a member. It was a monumental feat, to move so quickly up the chain of command. It seemed Vanitas Ishi was a real force to be reckoned with.

It wasn't all 'sunshine and daisies', though, as Ventus soon learned. Not long after being instated as Xehanort's second in command, Vanitas had found himself caught in an all-out civil war with Xehanort's other two lieutenants when Xehanort unexpectedly died before naming a successor. Ventus had remembered hearing about this on the news, of how Tokyo had become an extremely dangerous place to live due to all the ensuing bloodshed. The Japanese Government had called numerous times for an end to the violence as it continued to escalate, and he'd been so glad to be living in Kyoto. He was only 22 at the time and had just finished his teaching degree, and when he'd first seen footage and mugshots of Vanitas on the television he'd been so shocked he'd nearly fallen out of his chair. He and Vanitas had had no contact with each other for all of three years and whereas Ventus _knew_ Vanitas had chosen a life of crime he had never expected him to be involved to this extent. After an entire year of in-fighting, and with the other two lieutenant's dead, Vanitas finally emerged the victor, becoming _Ishi-kai's_ youngest boss in a century at only 23. Under its new leadership, the organisation had immediately gone to ground then and had been operating covertly ever since.

Ventus had waited for the news of Vanitas' arrest to reach him, but it never did, and now he knew why. The police had never been able to pin the other two lieutenant's murders on him, (amongst countless other crimes), because there had apparently never been enough evidence to convict him, even though, due to Vanitas' habit of favouring traditional Japanese weapons over guns, there was more than enough speculation that he'd carried out the killings personally. There followed a number of photos of two men butchered beyond belief, the article informing Ventus that one of the lieutenants had committed _Seppuku_ before having his head lopped off, while the other had not been as lucky to receive the same kindness. He'd been found with his eyes and tongue cut out, having simply been left to bleed to death.

Ventus had felt so ill he'd been unable to keep reading. To think, someone who he'd been intimate with, someone who had laughed and cried with him and held him so gently could be revealed as such a _monster_ was really unsettling.

Pulled from his thoughts, Ventus idly noted the train had reached the next stop, the carriage doors slow to close this time with all the people now pressed against them. It was in that moment, when the train shunted forwards again that something seemed… , Ventus stole glances at the people around him, trying to pinpoint exactly what had changed. Every way he looked it was just more of the same thing: a lot of people just standing with their eyes closed or staring down, some even quietly conversing, but nothing _looked_ out of the ordinary… It was just a general _feeling_ of unease that he couldn't seem to shake. Surely… this was just paranoia.

Annoyed with himself, Ventus chose to ignore it and faced the window again, his eyes happening to lock with those of another. There was a man standing behind him, a couple of other people in between them, but it didn't take more than a split-second for Ventus to recognise him, no matter how brief their actual acquaintance had been. His anxiety promptly shot through the roof.

It was one of Vanitas' henchmen – one of the two who had forced his father to his knees.

Swallowing hard, Ventus tightened his grip on his backpack strap and looked down at his chest. Their eyes had only met in the reflection of the glass briefly, but it had been more than enough to be sure. The train carriage suddenly seemed a lot hotter, a lot more confined, and the air trapped in his lungs felt too heavy for him to breathe out. It could have just been a horrible coincidence, but there was no way in hell he was believing _that._ He felt eyes on the back of his head and just _knew,_ the man was now openly staring at him. He'd never known Vanitas not to be a man of his word, but maybe he'd been a little naïve in still believing that. Maybe… Vanitas had changed his mind about letting him go?

Maybe, he'd sent his _goons_ to drag him back?

There was no time to be indecisive. As soon as the carriage doors opened at the next stop, Ventus was pushing his way through. Squaring his shoulders and not daring to look behind him, he fell into an even rhythm and moved along with the flow of people also exiting the station. He walked fast, weaving quickly through the crowd, one hand still clenched so hard around the strap of his backpack that it was starting to cut into his skin. He took the stairs up to ground level, two at a time, immediately veering right, straight onto the main street. Luckily for him, this was a particularly busy part of the city, so he could easily use it to his advantage.

Jogging across a street just as the direction of traffic changed, Ventus dodged around a large group of people waiting outside an already overcrowded restaurant and turned down another street that he knew to be packed with open-air bars and bustling noodle shops. There was a lot more people here, but Ventus kept moving, wanting to keep his advantage as much as possible. If there really was still a chance that that guy was after him, Ventus wasn't going to make it easy for him to keep up. Just before the street tailed off into another one, Ventus noticed another set of stairs heading underground and immediately ducked down them. He found himself in the food court of a large shopping mall, people milling about everywhere he looked, most, if not all of them lined up to purchase food or already seated, eating. Too nauseous to be hungry anymore, Ventus quickly darted down an escalator to the floor below before striding for the other side of the building. He found another set of escalators and went back up before quickly blending in with a group of businessmen exiting through a side entryway.

From there it wasn't hard to find another subway entrance, and before he knew it, he was back on the train again, sandwiched in as if he'd never gotten off in the first place. Still wary, Ventus scrutinised the people around him, but he was more than sure that the man hadn't gotten on with him, _if_ he'd even been following him to begin with. Even now he wasn't completely sure if he was just overreacting, but it went without saying that if Vanitas _had_ changed his mind about leaving him alone, if he found out where Ventus lived it would all be game over. It wasn't for the first time that Ventus wished he wasn't stuck with paying off his father's debt, otherwise he'd be moving _straight_ back to Kyoto. He hadn't known it at the time, but Kyoto was apparently under the jurisdiction of another _Yakuza_ clan, so Vanitas had no reach there at all. This only served to make Ventus all the more determined. If he moved back to Kyoto, Vanitas wouldn't be able to touch him.

Ventus wasted no time in getting home. He walked quickly and made sure to stay along well-lit streets, the crowds of people left behind him, now that he was more outside of the city centre. For once, the key to his apartment didn't jam in the lock, and the door didn't make a single sound as he pushed it open. For some reason, this bothered him more than it should. It always squeaked. He'd been meaning to oil the hinges since the day he'd moved in. Paranoid all over again, Ventus closed the door behind him, dropped his backpack at his feet and clicked on the light. His apartment looked just as he'd left it, slightly messy, with packing boxes still dotted around the living room, but nothing was out of place… as far as he could tell.

Still unsure, he swiftly toed off his shoes and made quick work of walking over to the sliding door to the balcony, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that it was still locked and secure. Rubbing tiredly at his eyes, Ventus closed them and gently rested his forehead against the cool surface of the glass door.

This was so stupid. It had been nearly a month since his night with Vanitas, so why now was he becoming so anxious? Yes, he'd been feeling out of sorts, but that wasn't enough of a reason to be jumping at shadows and running from supposed stalkers on the subway. Maybe, he just really needed a weekend away, just to get a good night's sleep without having to wake up and deal with the morning rush hour, or organise tedious remedial classes for his students. He knew he had to go visit his father at some point and make sure he was settling in okay, so perhaps that was a better idea. Right now, though, he just wanted to sleep. He was just too exhausted of this constant, suffocating tension.

Opening his eyes, Ventus stared blankly down at the floor between his feet, still reluctant in moving just yet. It took him a while to focus, but eventually he realised what he was staring down at. Lying beside the sliding door was something that at first glance looked like a nail file. Puzzled, Ventus bent down to pick it up. It was a small metal tool, the handle no longer than his index finger, with a long thin, needle-like hook protruding out of one end of it. He turned it over and over between his fingers, trying to comprehend what it could be, but nothing at all was coming to mind – until he looked to the lock on the sliding door again. Carefully, gripping the slim handle of the tool, Ventus wedged it into the lock. There would be another tool required to fully disengage the locking mechanism, but the tool's purpose was made clear enough. A lock pick. There was a _fucking_ lock pick in _his_ apartment.

Ventus actually laughed. It probably sounded insane, but there was no one else there to hear it. Slowly, he sunk to his knees.

He was trapped here, and that was the hardest truth. He had no money to move back to Kyoto, and this had been the only apartment he'd been able to afford with a debt of _twenty million_ hanging over his head like a sharpened guillotine. The fact that he'd been broken into, but nothing seemed to have been stolen was not wasted on him either. Who else, but _him,_ would be responsible for this?

The apartment was silent, save for the harshness of his breathing. It pressed in on him, the white noise filling his head. He didn't know what to do anymore. Two months ago, his life had been perfect, and now, it was like he was descending into the very depths of hell.

-0-

"Okay, that's it for today – don't forget the homework on page 63, please."

Excited at having been dismissed, his class all answered him in unison before happily chattering amongst themselves as they packed away their workbooks and pens. His teaching done and his attention already directed elsewhere, Ventus closed the textbook he was holding and promptly looked out the bank of windows to the right of him. He looked passed the sports grounds where another class was playing a game of Soccer and over towards the open school gates. For one brief moment, he felt relieved – that is, until the strange man that had been loitering just on the other side of the gates stepped back into view again. Ventus felt a wave of dread wash over him. This surely couldn't just be baseless paranoia anymore. He'd only noticed the man around midday, but who was to say he hadn't been there since Ventus had arrived for work, first thing in the morning? He'd been watching the man pace back and forth outside the gates for the entire afternoon, and not once had he moved far from the front of the school. Something was _definitely_ going on.

"Sir, are you okay…?"

Ventus blinked and turned to the student he hadn't notice approach him. It was a girl named Xion, both of her hands neatly grasping the handle of her bookbag in front of her.

"E-Excuse me for asking, but you don't seem well today."

Ventus forced his mouth up into what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Great. He'd been so distracted his students were even starting to notice. "Thanks for asking, but I'm okay. Just tired."

Xion instantly looked relieved and smiled too, her fingers playing along the handle of her bag. She bowed low, already stepping away. "I hope your weekend is very restful then."

Now Ventus' smile really was genuine. He returned her bow with a slight incline of his head. "Thanks; I hope yours is too."

Xion was a good student. She was mostly more on the quiet side, but she always worked hard and never shied away from helping her classmates. Ventus watched her join her friends and leave, most of the other students having left the classroom already. The promise of a weekend away from school and boring classes was just way too enticing.

Waiting till he was alone, Ventus was quick to return to watching the school gates, his eyes easily hunting out the man he'd been monitoring for the better half of the day. As he watched, groups of students began filing out of the gates, some noticeably looking over at the man, who Ventus couldn't quite see from his position, save for his profile. As he continued to watch, Ventus was surprised to see some of the girls break away to walk over and approach the man, and finally, this was the first time he was able to get a proper look. Frowning, he moved closer to the windows and rested his hands on the nearest windowsill.

The man stepped out from behind the wall and started talking with the girls, and Ventus quickly noted how young he was, surely no more than 18. He was also wearing plain clothes, which Ventus had thought earlier wasn't exactly _Yakuza_ style. The girls were crowding him on all sides now, and although he appeared nervous he still seemed quite friendly. Ventus chewed on the side of his bottom lip, still watching, but thoughtful. Maybe he had been wrong in assuming that this guy had been waiting around all day for him. Now that he considered it, there was a very real chance that he might actually have a girlfriend who went to this school, but even so… what kind of creep hung around outside _all day,_ just waiting for classes to end? Still suspicious, Ventus' eyes narrowed as the man waved the group of girls off, but then stayed standing by the gate. He stepped back around the corner, more out of sight, but Ventus could still see his face. The guy was looking for someone, that much was obvious, his eyes shifting through the crowds of students still moving passed him.

Sighing loudly, Ventus straightened from his position against the windowsill and moved back over towards his desk to begin gathering his things. There was no use in over-thinking it, and it wasn't going to do him any good just standing in here jumping to conclusions. The rational part of his brain was still convinced he was just being paranoid, but then… stranger things had already occurred. He would be hard-pressed to forget finding the lock-picking tool in his apartment, or the underling that had manhandled his father, watching him on the train, so who knew what Vanitas was _really_ capable of, even if this sort of… _harassment_ didn't quite seem his style. Ventus could more see Vanitas as the type to just 'take' what he wanted, but then _again_ , he already well understood that Vanitas was a man that should _never_ be underestimated.

His backpack now fully packed and slung over his shoulder, Ventus turned off the lights to the classroom and slid the door closed behind him. Despite all the uncertainty, he was actually really looking forward to some downtime over the weekend. He had a few lesson plans to go over, but that wasn't much, so for the rest of the time he could finally get a break – that, and he also needed to check in on his father.

Keeping his pace casual, Ventus waved to a few other teachers he came across on his way out of the building before heading directly for the gate. There were still many students hanging around the sports grounds, most just talking and sitting in small groups, or watching and waiting for the afternoon baseball tryouts. Upon reaching the gates, Ventus wasn't at all surprised to find the guy still waiting there. He didn't look at him – didn't acknowledge him in any way, but from out of the corner of his eye he could easily see that the man was looking straight at him. Turning his back on him, Ventus fought all of his instincts to turn around and look behind him as he continued his way along the street. He was just _dying_ to know if the guy was following him, but he would have to be patient. He didn't go his usual way home, instead choosing to bypass the subway altogether, heading towards an inner-city grocery store he knew would be relatively busy at this time.

Grabbing a basket by the doors, Ventus slowly wandered around the store, making a show of grabbing items off the shelves and inspecting them for a while before placing them back down again. Eventually, slowly walking along one of the aisles and weaving around a mother and her child, Ventus stopped and turned to inspect the shelving again, but this time, as he held a can of beans and pretended to read the label, he looked up and to the side, peering down the way he'd just come.

And sure enough, there he was.

He was standing midway along the aisle behind a number of other people, but Ventus had a clear line of sight from where he was standing. Their eyes met and Ventus froze, but the man was the first to look away, trying to busy himself with looking at a display of tinned tuna. Ventus just stared, his heart leaping into his throat. Yes, he'd suspected it, but here was the undeniable _proof._

Woodenly, Ventus carefully placed the beans back on the shelf. In somewhat of a daze, his mind reeling, he made his way into the next aisle and stood by the entrance – waiting. Who else but _Vanitas_ would do something like this? Not to mention, how long had this been going on? …How long had it taken him to even _notice?_

He waited for the guy to follow him around the corner, but after a minute or two, there was still no sign of him. His patience wearing thin, Ventus began walking down the aisle to start making his way out of the store, until rather predictably, the guy was there again in front of him, having obviously ducked around the other end to stay in the same aisle as him. Ventus nearly shook his head in disbelief. Either Vanitas was getting slack or he'd _wanted_ him to catch this guy because he was doing a _terrible_ job at remaining inconspicuous. The guy glanced at him again and upon seeing Ventus looking directly at him, swiftly looked away, shoving a few packets of biscuits into the basket he was carrying for good measure. Reaching his limit, Ventus had had enough. This was _beyond_ a joke.

Striding down the aisle, Ventus dodged around the other few people that were in his way before coming alongside the man, who was now closely inspecting a box of wafer crackers. Ventus could see he was nervous, especially now that they were standing side by side.

"Why are you following me?"

The guy actually jumped a little. Visibly more nervous now, he tried to put on a tough act, looking at Ventus like he'd just asked the most insane question in existence.

"F-Following? _You?"_ He scoffed loudly, taking a step back. "I'm not sure what you're on about, old man, but –"

"Save it." Ventus cut him off, already tapping away at his phone screen. He quickly found what he was looking for and held it up for the man to see. On it, his phone number was displayed.

"This is my phone number. You better get it down."

Taken by surprise, the man's jaw worked uselessly for a second, his eyes running over Ventus' phone number like he'd just been handed the holy grail.

"…Why would I want that?" He snorted weakly, still ridiculously trying to play it cool.

Ventus just gave him a look. He continued to hold the number up.

"Tell your _boss_ I want him to call me. Do you realise what I'm giving you right now? Do you know what he would do to get it?"

There was a pregnant pause between them as they stared each other down, until finally, the man's shoulders sagged in defeat.

"Okay," was all he said as he quietly took out his own phone and entered Ventus' number into it.

Seeing his number successfully saved on the man's phone, Ventus turned to leave without another word. An afterthought occurring to him, he stopped briefly, facing the man again. The man stood frozen in surprise, his expression slightly frightened.

"And tell him, if he hurts you in any way for blowing your cover, don't even bother calling me."

The man was stunned. For a second he blinked owlishly, and then alarmingly looked like he was about to cry. The relief on his face was near palpable. He bowed so low his hair almost brushed the floor.

"Thank you so much, _Fujin-sama!_ It's true what they say about you!"

The man stayed bent at the waist for far too long, the depth of his bow clearly conveying his gratitude and respect, but for what exactly, Ventus wasn't quite sure.

"Uh, yeah…" He managed to answer as he glanced around at the people surrounding them that were now all staring. _Never_ had anyone used 'sama' on the end of his name and having been addressed in such a way, in a _grocery store_ no less, was slightly embarrassing to say the least.

It was only after he'd left the grocery store and gotten onto his train home that he'd realised that the man had even _known_ his name to begin with. He wasn't just 'some guy' Vanitas was having followed everywhere, he'd been labelled as someone important, for whatever reason, but just the fact that Vanitas' _goons_ were respectful to him did not make any of this okay – not by a long shot! He knew it was only a matter of time before Vanitas called him and then he'd be putting an end to this mess, once and for all.

-0-

His phone rang within the hour.

He'd barely gotten inside his apartment before it was vibrating in his pocket, calling for his immediate attention. The screen showed a private number, but Ventus knew it was him. He let it ring for at least another ten seconds before finally pressing accept.

"Vanitas."

There was silence on the other end, then –

"Do you always answer the phone like that?"

Vanitas' voice filtered through clearly and Ventus' heartbeat sped up of its own volition. For a second his mind went blank, but he just managed to get a hold of himself before his pause came across as strange. Wasting no more time, he cut straight to the point.

"What the hell are you doing, Vanitas? I thought we had an agreement, or does the word of the _mighty Ishi-kai_ boss mean nothing these days?"

Vanitas hummed thoughtfully. "Ah, but see, Ventus, _you're_ actually the one who's contacted me, so I haven't broken my word at all."

"… _You…"_ Ventus breathed, realising the trick. "You planned this!"

"I'm not sure of what you mean," Vanitas answered, and now he _definitely_ sounded smug. "I have men working for me everywhere in this city, it's only chance that _some_ of them may be in the same area as you, at any given time."

"You're an idiot if you think I'm going to believe that," Ventus grated out, his anger getting the better of him. " _Stop_ having me followed, and _leave me alone."_

Vanitas sighed, and Ventus could imagine him rolling his eyes.

"You're not exactly living in the greatest part of Tokyo, Ventus, so as far as I'm concerned I'm doing you a favour. You should be grateful."

Ventus felt like he'd been hit up the side of the head with a phonebook. _Not only_ was Vanitas admitting to having him followed, but he was _completely_ and _utterly_ unapologetic. He was actually _proud_ of himself!

"I'm hanging up."

Removing his phone from his ear, Ventus poised his finger over the 'end call' button, just as he heard Vanitas reply.

" _Wait."_

Despite his better judgement, Ventus moved the phone back up to his ear.

"…I want to meet. There's things we need to talk about."

Ventus shook his head, his answer curt. "Out of the question. I have nothing to say to you."

"No matter how… _distasteful_ I am to you now, you still can't deny the fact that we have unfinished business."

Remaining silent, Ventus thought it over, even if he already knew Vanitas had a valid point. Would this horrible feeling that had been plaguing him ever since their reunion finally leave him if they just talked it out?

"I pick the place." It wasn't a question.

Vanitas didn't even hesitate. "Of course."

"Day-time hours." Ventus added, already wondering if he would live to regret this.

Vanitas laughed quietly, and Ventus' nerves had him gripping the phone tighter.

"As long as I can see you, I'm fine with whatever you choose."

-0-

Ventus was nervous. After some thought, he'd decided on a coffee shop near to his apartment, only a couple of stops down the line just to be safe – not that that seemed to matter since Vanitas had already made it known he knew where he lived. He'd chosen a booth further to the back of the shop where there were less people, but as it was a Saturday, the café was still generally quite busy. Ventus didn't know what to expect from this meeting but he did feel more at ease being in such a public place. After their phone conversation, Vanitas had given Ventus his number and they had exchanged details over text message to meet at ten in the morning. Ventus had rather predictably gotten here a half hour early, but he'd grown restless sitting at home just waiting to head out. Not only that, he'd also been curious to see if he was still being followed. He hadn't noticed anyone tailing him, so as infuriating as it was that the stalking had occurred at all, it seemed once Vanitas had gotten what he'd wanted he'd ended the harassment immediately. Thank goodness for small mercies.

It was just reaching ten and Ventus drummed his fingers restlessly against the table. It would only be a matter of minutes and Vanitas would be walking right through that door…

He glanced up at the café entrance again, and as if summoned, Ventus recognised Vanitas' shock of black hair on the other side of the glass door. As Ventus watched, another man in a business suit came in before Vanitas and promptly held the door open for him. Vanitas' eyes scanned the room at record speed, all of his attention directed on Ventus just seconds later. Without pausing, he began making his way over, the man that had held the door for him closely following. Ventus sat up a little straighter, his heart doing that annoying 'beating in his throat' thing again. He swallowed hard. He wasn't sure of what he had been expecting but Vanitas was dressed painfully casual in faded denim jeans and a dark singlet, a long-sleeved shirt that was rolled up at the elbows simply thrown over the top. He honestly looked like he'd just dragged himself out of bed, and he didn't seem to care at all that his _Irezumi_ tattoos were on full display, black and red ink just visible along both of his forearms. If he hadn't already known Vanitas was the leader of a large criminal organisation he never would have believed it, even if the tattoos were more than telling to some..

Vanitas was halfway across the room when a number of things happened all at once. The café at large fell strangely silent, and a man sitting near to Ventus suddenly stood up so fast his chair fell backwards. Without any explanation to the woman he was seated with, he ran in a state of panic through the tables, slamming his way through the door to the café's kitchen. Then, Ventus noticed several other people standing and gathering their things as well, a few glancing fearfully in Vanitas' direction.

 _Oh hell…_

Ventus slunk low in his seat, just as Vanitas reached him. The café was now more than half empty, but many of the patrons that had stayed were all still curiously looking over at Vanitas. Ventus closed his eyes and prayed for strength. He had definitely been naïve in thinking that Vanitas' reputation wouldn't be known here. For his part, Vanitas just looked bored, as if people running at the mere sight of him was just a regular occurrence. Without a word, he slid into the booth's seat on the opposite side of Ventus. Avoiding Vanitas' eyes for the moment, Ventus glanced off to the side and was surprised to see a familiar face. It was the young man who had followed him around the grocery store, and was now sitting at a nearby table with the other man who had entered the café with Vanitas. The man saw Ventus looking and smiled at him, actually giving him a small wave in greeting. Caught off guard, Ventus offered a small awkward smile in return. Across from him, Vanitas' eyes narrowed. Following Ventus' line of sight he shot a glare at his underling who in turn rapidly bowed his head. Ventus frowned.

"Is it against the rules to smile?" Ventus meant it to sound derisive, but Vanitas took the question seriously.

"He's the only son of a business associate I'm teaching a lesson to," Vanitas murmured, resting his forearms on the table. "Think of it like Day Care."

Ventus was not impressed. "You would play with someone's life like that? He's only a kid."

"That _'kid'_ is one of the best martial artists in all of Japan, a master in Aikido by the age of 17." Vanitas answered, matter of fact. "He'd be useless to me here if he was just a liability."

"Of course," Ventus shot back. "Everyone's gotta serve some purpose to you, don't they?"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen!" A portly, balding man suddenly interrupted, rushing up to their table. "Please excuse my interruption, but I must say, what a pleasure it is to have you in our shop, _Ishi-sama!"_ The man turned his attention to Ventus then, bowing his head repeatedly. "And you of course, sir, any friend of _Ishi-sama's_ is a welcome guest of ours!"

Vanitas, who had been in the process of answering Ventus' gibe slowly closed his mouth and rolled his eyes skyward.

"Go. _Away._ "

Ventus watched all the colour drain from the man's face, who he could only assume was the manager here. The manager bowed low, his smile strained.

"Y-Yes, sir! If there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask!"

"Just coffee will be great, thanks." Ventus cut in, seeing Vanitas obviously wasn't going to be civil.

The manager bowed to them again, already hurrying to take his leave. "I will send one of the girls over right away."

Left on their own, Ventus found himself caught in a staring match, Vanitas' face completely blank as he studied him intently. Ventus knew full well that Vanitas was a sociopath – perhaps even a psychopath when it came down to it. He was never one to convey his feelings well, or know how to empathise properly with others, and Ventus didn't quite know if he could call Vanitas' interest in him 'love' when it seemed more like an obsession.

When they were still in school, Ventus had always known that their friendship hadn't been built on the healthiest of foundations, and it had only been inevitable right from the start that they would eventually take their relationship another step further. Vanitas would never have been satisfied with only having Ventus' friendship, not when he'd never made it a secret that he'd wanted all of him. Luckily for him, Ventus had felt the same.

He knew they had an interesting power dynamic. It was a constant battle of wills that had always excited him when they were younger, and if he was going to be even a little honest with himself, there had been a very small part of him that had relished Vanitas' possessiveness of him. Even now, it gave him somewhat of a heady rush, that even after all these years, he still seemed to be the only one Vanitas wanted to depend on – the only one he was unwilling to let go of. Despite their time apart, Ventus still knew he had a slight advantage here. Regardless of Vanitas' feelings for him, he had to make him see sense, or at the very least, get him to leave him alone for good.

Tactful as always, Vanitas was still staring at him. It was only after his eyes lowered to Ventus' lips that Ventus forced himself to break the silence. With a frustrated sigh, he flumped back in his seat, crossing his arms.

"You wanted to talk, so talk."

With impeccable timing, a waitress chose that moment to come over and take their order.

"What can I get you today?" She asked, her eyes never leaving her little notebook in hand. Ventus could tell she was nervous, her fingers gripping her pen just a little too tight. He ordered for the both of them.

"I'll just have a cappuccino, please, and he'll have a long black in a mug."

With a nod of her head she was quick to leave them alone again.

"You remember how I take my coffee." Vanitas said quietly, sounding pleased.

"I remember a lot of things about you, unfortunately." Ventus dryly replied, starting to wonder if they were ever going to get around to discussing the issue at hand. He was just about to prompt him again when Vanitas beat him to the punch.

"I think we should get back together."

"No."

Vanitas frowned. "You didn't even think about it."

Ventus fought the urge to roll his eyes. He sighed heavily. "I don't _need_ to think about it, Vanitas. It was different for us years ago, it worked, but now you _kill_ people and make a profit out of crime!" He pressed a hand to his chest, lowering his voice. "I'm a _school teacher!_ I can't be associated with the _Yakuza!_ "

Clearly agitated, Vanitas snorted and looked off to the side. He fell back against his seat and propped one arm up against the headrest "I think you're just making excuses. The _real_ truth of it is you're actually just scared." He looked back over at Ventus, challenging.

Now it was Ventus' turn to scoff. "Scared? Of what?"

Vanitas made him wait for an answer as the man who had held the door open for him suddenly stood from his seat and approached them. Without a word, he produced a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Vanitas. Ventus ridiculously felt like he was guest-starring in a gangster movie as the man lit Vanitas' cigarette for him before returning to his previous post.

Vanitas drew on the cigarette hard before neatly blowing the smoke up at the ceiling. He pointed the cigarette at Ventus, smoke from the end lazily curling upwards.

"Commitment." He said simply.

Incredulous, Ventus opened his mouth to argue, right when the manager chose to make a reappearance, bustling over with an ashtray.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir, but this is _unfortunately_ a non-smoking establishment – new regulations, see? I-I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to put it out." He held the ashtray out towards Vanitas, his hand lightly shaking.

Vanitas spent an uncomfortably long time just staring the poor man down before slowly looking down at his lit cigarette.

"Oh. How rude of me."

Deliberately slow, he grabbed the manager's hand that was holding the ashtray and pulled him in closer. Without even blinking, he bypassed the ashtray altogether, choosing to stub the cigarette out on the man's wrist. His eyes flying wide, Ventus gasped and reached out to stop it a little too late. The manager whimpered and squeezed his eyes closed, his entire body shaking as he shrunk in on himself. The cigarette out, Vanitas dropped it into the ashtray like nothing out of the ordinary and turned back to Ventus, just as another couple at a nearby table hastily gathered their things and fled the café as well.

"T-thank you… s-sir." The manager gasped out before clumsily bowing and practically running for the kitchen.

Ventus was shell-shocked. Vanitas actually tried to look innocent.

"What?"

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Ventus burst out, gesturing wildly at Vanitas. "Are you being serious right now? You just hurt that guy really bad and you don't even care!?"

Scowling, Vanitas sighed and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Oi," he said, prompting the same henchman to approach them again with just a jerk of his chin. "Go fix him up."

The man nodded. "Understood, sir."

Ventus watched him go, following the manager into the café's kitchen without a care for if he was even allowed back there in the first place. Ventus swung back around to face Vanitas, thoroughly unconvinced.

"Is that Yakuza talk for kill? Don't you dare kill him, Vanitas!"

Vanitas grumpily crossed his arms, looking as if Ventus' fears were completely unfounded. " _No_ , he's not gonna kill him. Despite what you think I'm not _always_ a bad person, Ventus."

Ventus sniffed. "I'm finding that hard to believe."

Vanitas just shrugged. "Think what you want."

The waitress took that moment to bring them their order. They both sat quietly and waited till she was done, Ventus worriedly eyeing her shaking hands, the cups rattling in their saucers. She managed to set his down without any problems, but just as Vanitas' was put in front of him she bumped the edge, causing some of the black coffee to spill slightly down the side. It pooled in the saucer, and both Ventus and Vanitas stared down at it, the waitress already appearing panicked. Ventus reflexively held his breath.

"I-I'm so sorry! I'll get you a new one!"

She shakily reached out to take the mug back, but Ventus put a hand out and stopped her.

"It's okay, I'll clean it up," he told her, offering her a comforting smile. He quickly grabbed a wad of napkins and shoved them under the mug. "No harm done."

Looking between Ventus and the girl, Vanitas rather surprisingly smiled at her too.

"Thanks," was all he said, but it proved to be enough. The girl blinked rapidly in surprise and hid behind her serving tray, her cheeks tinting pink. Bowing quickly, she skittered away.

"See?" Vanitas said, gesturing after the girl. "I can be nice."

Ventus said nothing. He couldn't have been less impressed if he tried.

Continuing, Vanitas leaned back in his seat, smirking slightly. "But it's only because I'm with you. You keep me honest."

 _Keeps me sane…_ whispered through Ventus' mind, that night in his apartment, the night he'd walked out, instantly leaping to the forefront.

Sobering, Ventus looked down into his coffee, his fingers playing with one of the sugar sachets sitting on the side. "Honest, huh? I couldn't keep you honest back then, so what makes you think I can now?"

In the process of taking a sip of his coffee, Vanitas paused. He lowered the mug, looking at Ventus from over the rim. "You're still bitter about that? It's been six years, let it go already."

Ventus had to bite his tongue. He could very nearly say the same thing.

Vanitas plonked his mug back down onto his mushy pile of napkins and shifted forwards, his tone matter of fact. "You know what I think? You only broke up with me in the first place because you were too angry to really think about what you were doing." His hand snaked across the table, his fingers playing over the back of Ventus' hand. He smirked. "I know you regret it, especially after our night together…"

Ventus was gobsmacked.

"Vanitas, I broke up with you because you were _hiding_ illicit _drugs_ in my _apartment!"_ He whipped his hand out of reach.

Vanitas was indifferent. He slowly retracted his arm. "It was a couple kilos of coke, so what?"

Ventus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Mindful of the people still around them, he lowered his voice to an angry whisper. "A couple!? Filling the _roof_ is _not a couple of kilos!_ I could've went to prison because of you! You used me!"

Vanitas waved his hand in the air and the henchman that had disappeared into the kitchen instantly materialised. He swiftly lit Vanitas another cigarette, and this time, no one stopped him. The manager still hadn't reappeared and Ventus was really starting to wonder if he was even still alive. Who knew what Vanitas' lackey had actually done to 'fix' him.

Vanitas exhaled heatedly, cigarette smoke billowing upwards. His eyes narrowed just a fraction. "I didn't mean for it to turn out that way and you know it. What should it matter now, anyway? Everything worked out in the end."

 _Everything except us,_ Ventus thought, slowly shaking his head. It wasn't at all surprising that Vanitas was still incapable of apologising. He felt like asking if it'd been worth it? – Choosing this life over the longevity of their relationship, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, too afraid of hearing the answer. Even after all these years, it still hurt to think back on how everything had ended between them. He just wanted to be free of this, he wanted Vanitas to take some responsibility. …He needed him to understand that he couldn't have his cake and eat it too.

"But we're getting off topic here," Vanitas added, pulling Ventus from his thoughts. "Tell me you'll at least consider it?"

Ventus was confused. "…Consider what?"

"Us getting back together."

Looking Vanitas dead in the eye, Ventus decided to change tactics.

"I'm seeing someone."

Vanitas exhaled smoke through his nose, his expression hard. "You're not."

"Well, maybe I am," Ventus flippantly replied, holding Vanitas' gaze.

Vanitas just looked mildly amused. "Oh? What's his name then?"

Ventus busied himself with drinking some of his coffee, his answer stilted.

"As if I would tell you."

Vanitas snorted, a triumphant grin pulling at his lips. "You're a terrible liar, as always. If you _are_ seeing someone, you haven't actually _seen_ them once in over three weeks."

Ventus glared, his patience wearing thin.

"Whatever, think what you want, but you can't change the fact that we're two very different people now." Vanitas' grin slipped right off his face. Ventus continued, pushing his point home. "You… You're a stranger to me now. I don't… know you at all anymore… and you don't know me."

Vanitas looked serious, his eyes softening. He reached across the table to grab a hold of Ventus' hand once again. Ventus allowed it. "Then, let's get reacquainted. Let me –"

"I don't _want_ to be reacquainted with you, Vanitas," Ventus harshly interrupted. "I don't want to know the person you've become."

Vanitas' fingers tightened over his just briefly and Ventus looked away, feeling ashamed. That had been a low blow, but playing nice obviously wasn't getting through. Vanitas lifted his hand away.

"So you'd rather believe what you've read in the papers and seen on the internet than actually get to know me again." It wasn't a question, Vanitas' voice low and expressionless.

"There has to be some truth to it," Ventus murmured, avoiding Vanitas' eyes. "I'm sure all those men you've _murdered_ didn't just disembowel themselves."

There was silence on Vanitas' end and Ventus glanced back up, his heart sharply aching at what he saw. Vanitas actually looked _sad,_ and Ventus felt sick knowing he'd put that expression there. His resolve began to waver. He wasn't wrong, he couldn't be.

He had to stay strong.

Bracing his hands on the table, Ventus pushed himself to standing.

"…I have to go. I won't be telling you again, Vanitas. Stop stalking me and leave me alone. I'm not going to change my mind."

Staring straight ahead, Vanitas stubbed his cigarette in his saucer and finally looked up at him. He definitely wasn't conflicted anymore, his face nothing but determined.

"I'm not giving up. You're just being stubborn. Despite everything that's happened, you know we're meant to be together. Maybe, if you gave me a chance, you'd see I'm not as different as you think."

Ventus pulled a few bills from his wallet and laid them down on the table. He didn't look at Vanitas again.

"Goodbye, Vanitas."

Keeping his posture as relaxed as possible, Ventus left the café. Vanitas didn't try and stop him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I got halfway through writing this and realised I don't really know how to structure chaptered fics correctly, so enjoy this messs. Orz.

* * *

 **Chapter Two.**

The first time Ventus met Vanitas was when he started at his new school. His father and himself had moved from a sleepy town more towards the south of Japan and into an entirely different prefecture that was situated closer to Tokyo City. His father had ultimately chosen to relocate them for a number of reasons, but mainly so he wouldn't have to suffer such a long commute to his new place of work. Ventus hadn't really had a choice in the matter – not that he'd cared much at the time anyway.

His very first day of school, Ventus had stepped out of his father's chauffeur driven car and walked all but ten steps before he was slammed roughly from behind, _right_ between his shoulder blades. He'd gone down hard, the left side of his face scraping along the pavement.

Ventus remembered he'd just wearily closed his eyes, motionless on the cold, hard ground without so much as a single word. Of course it hurt – it hurt _a lot,_ but his mother had just died, and his heart was hurting a whole lot more.

His attacker now looming over him, Ventus heard the voice of a boy that had to be around his own age filter down to him. "Stupid, _spoiled_ little rich boy with his _fancy_ butler car! Gotta be better than everyone else, huh?" There was a sharp kick to his side and Ventus had managed to look up, his eyes instantly meeting with angry, vivid gold. With one last sneer, the boy had walked off, leaving him sprawled there while small groups of other kids nervously stepped around him. No one helped him up.

Ventus hadn't even had the strength to feel mad. He'd felt so tired, right down in his bones – an overwhelming sadness that no twelve year old should ever have to endure. That night he'd gone home with a large bandage on his cheek, but his father hadn't noticed. He hadn't even _been_ there.

Lying awake that night, he'd thought about the boy who had shoved him and wondered what he would say if he knew that Ventus' father would rather _pay_ someone than drive him to school himself, or that he was always too busy for him, now that his mother was gone? The bruise along his ribs throbbed and he wondered if the boy would still kick him as hard as he could if he could have known that Ventus' father didn't even so much as _look_ at him anymore? That sometimes, he wondered… if he even still _existed?_ He found himself sleeping less and less, questions without answers plaguing him endlessly.

It would only be a couple of days later that Ventus had found himself face down on the pavement again, but this time, he recognised the voice.

"What have you got to be sad about, loser? Your _mummy_ take your Gameboy off you?" There followed another jarring kick to his side. "You're pathetic!"

His arms trembling to hold his weight up against the onslaught of pain jarring along his nerves, Ventus pulled himself into a sitting position, his misery finally giving way to anger. He looked the boy dead in the eyes.

"I'm _sad_ because my _mum_ just died – you… _asshole!"_

It was a big word for Ventus to use, and maybe the other boy thought so too. He looked down at Ventus, clearly stunned, but it didn't take him long to recover.

"Oh, boo _hoo._ So, what? At least you had a mum to begin with – still got a dad, I bet." The boy sneered down at him harshly, his upper lip curling in disgust. "What a baby. I'm not joining your pity party." His golden eyes full of contempt, the boy had stalked off again without a backwards glance, leaving Ventus sore and aching, sitting hunched on the pavement just outside of the school's gates. Ventus had stared blankly down at the scratches along his palms, his eyes hotly stinging.

What did the boy know? He didn't know _anything._ He might as well have no father either, with his houseempty and silent, and _always_ eating dinner on his own. He couldn't honestly remember the last time he'd even smiled, but what was the point, when he felt like the very life had been drained out of him? He told himself he didn't care so much, that this was just the way things were now, but no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, the horrible truth was that _nothing_ was okay anymore, and there wasn't even anything he could do to fix it.

His next run-in with the boy had been slightly different, but more of the same story. This time around, he'd been unexpectedly shoved up against the lockers from behind while changing into his indoor shoes. There was no one else around, only the two of them, Ventus in the bad habit of waiting till everyone was gone before heading to class as well. He didn't want to make friends; he didn't care if he was always the last one in.

"Gimme your lunch money, pretty boy."

Ventus still didn't know the boy's name and often wondered if the boy knew his either. He was always calling him something horrible like 'loser' or 'idiot', 'pretty boy' definitely being a new one. Without waiting for Ventus to answer, the boy had begun rifling through the pockets of his pants, then through the contents of his locker, till finally, his book-bag.

"What the hell!? Where's your money? Out with it!" The boy had grabbed him by the collar and whirled him around, pinning him hard against the cool metal of the locker. His face was so close that Ventus could smell Natto on his breath. Avoiding the boy's eyes, Ventus had just stared up at the ceiling, shrugging his shoulders weakly.

"Don't have any."

The boy just stared.

"Where's your lunch then?"

Ventus shrugged again.

"You're lying!" The boy spat in his face, shaking him. "As if _you_ wouldn't have any!"

Ventus said nothing. He'd eaten the last of the tinned food in the pantry last night for dinner. He hadn't seen his father home once in four days.

Perhaps realising that Ventus wasn't going to say anything more, the boy had growled, frustrated, before roughly releasing him and stomping off down the corridor.

Later, Ventus sat outside alone at lunch, ignoring his rumbling stomach in favour of the fantasy novel he'd checked out of the library. Getting lost in someone else's adventurous life was by far the best distraction yet from how nauseous he was beginning to feel all the time. Things could be worse than being hungry, he'd told himself. At least… he was alive.

When he had come back inside for second period, there was a single peach sitting innocently on his desk.

He'd frowned at it, uncomprehending. Slowly, he'd looked around the room, but none of his classmates were paying him any mind. Staring back at the peach, Ventus had sat down and picked it up. He'd held it between his hands like something precious and brought it up to his nose. He could still remember how sweet it had smelled. His mouth had started to water. Class began shortly after but all throughout the lesson, all he could focus on was the peach now stowed away safely inside his bag.

As soon as they'd been let out for break, he'd taken off for his usual spot, the peach already in his hand. Sitting underneath a large tree, Ventus leaned against the tree's sturdy trunk and tentatively bit into the peach. His eyes closed in bliss. It was sweet and delicious, and the juice of it ran freely down his chin. A sudden noise to his right made him open his eyes, only for him to freeze in place as the bully with the golden eyes sat down beside him. The boy looked at him differently, with something akin to interest. He eyed the half-eaten peach in Ventus' hand.

"So… did your dad just forget to give you lunch or something?"

Ventus blinked. "Dunno." He said shortly, keeping his guard up.

The boy was still staring at him.

"Why?"

It was such a simple, yet loaded question. Ventus shrugged, taking another small bite of the peach. He wanted to make it last as long as possible – who knew when he'd be eating next? He didn't like dwelling on what he was going to have to do if his father didn't return home soon.

"…Probably because he hates me," he finally answered, relaxing his body slightly as he realised the boy wasn't about to just punch him in the mouth or shove him into the tree. He took another bite.

The boy, for his part, seemed even more interested now. He tracked a single bead of peach juice sliding down Ventus' forearm before lifting his eyes back up.

"Why? What'd you do?"

This was a question that Ventus often asked himself, the tired, dark rings around his eyes glaring evidence of how much sleep he was losing over it.

"Never asked." He eventually said, leaving it at that.

"Does that mean you hate him then?"

Ventus went completely still, clenching the peach in his hand. He looked back at the boy, his eyes narrowing.

"…Why are you even talking to me? I thought _you_ hated me?"

It was the other boy's turn to shrug. "You interest me. I'm trying to figure you out."

Ventus frowned and glanced away. He'd stopped eating, the boy's intense scrutiny of him making him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"So… do you? Hate him, I mean?" The boy asked again, his expression still curious as he idly pulled at clumps of grass near his crossed legs.

Ventus didn't look at him, focussing on the half-eaten peach resting in his lap instead. He was already beyond tired of this stupid line of questioning. He honestly just wanted to be left alone.

"I... don't know."

The boy was instantly delighted. He hummed loudly, waggling a finger in Ventus' face. "I think you do! You _hate_ him, I can tell."

Ventus remembered a strong wave of guilt had washed over him. Deep down… he'd known the boy was right.

"Why do you care if I hate him or not?" He'd shouted, anger and frustration getting the better of him.

The boy only grinned, enjoying Ventus' reaction. "Well, since you _do_ hate him, you should stop depending on him so much."

Ventus started back in surprise. The boy was looking at him like he had all the answers, but all Ventus felt was confused.

"W-What do you…?"

"Vanitas!" A teacher had suddenly shouted out, catching sight of them in the shadow of the tree and already striding their way over. "I know you're stealing food again!"

"Damn it!" The boy hissed, quickly pulling himself to standing. He pointed down at the peach, forgotten in Ventus' hand. "Hide that, will you?"

Ignoring the teacher still bellowing after him, he'd taken off down the side of the school building, Ventus catching on enough to drop the peach down beside his leg, hiding it from view. The teacher had barely looked at him, though, as they raced off in the same direction the other boy had taken.

"Vanitas…" Ventus murmured to himself, grabbing a hold of the peach again. He turned it over between his fingers, realising exactly how it had come to be on his desk. He looked to where Vanitas had disappeared, his expression thoughtful. What… did this mean? Why would the kid who'd been relentlessly bullying him care about him not having any lunch?

That same afternoon, Ventus walked alone towards the school gates. He'd been hoping to maybe see the boy, Vanitas again, but he hadn't had the chance. Recognising his father's car, he'd made his way over to it, the chauffeur leaving the driver's seat to walk around and hold the rear door open for him.

"Oi – rich boy!"

Surprised to hear a familiar voice, Ventus stopped and turned. It was Vanitas, weaving his way through the crowd towards him – even shoving passed a few people for good measure. Ventus' fight or flight had instantly kicked in, his feet shifting slightly on the pavement.

"Remember what I said? Stop depending on him!" Vanitas had shouted at him, his words clearly carrying over the din of passing traffic and other students nearby, waiting around for their rides.

Frowning, still unsure, Ventus had taken a hesitant step closer to Vanitas. "What –?"

Vanitas came to a stop in front of him, his eyes fierce. He jerked his chin at Ventus, almost like issuing a challenge. "Forget the car. Come ride the train with me."

"Young master," the chauffeur called to him, still holding the rear door open expectantly. Ventus turned away from Vanitas, looking uncertainly over towards the car. He didn't know what to do at all. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before, and if he didn't go home straight away… if he trusted this strange boy who was suddenly being so confusingly nice to him, would things get better… or _worse?_

Startling him out of his thoughts, another hand had suddenly grabbed at his and jerked him back around. Vanitas held his gaze, completely serious, his hand squeezing Ventus' fingers. "If he doesn't need you, then you don't need him. Get rid of him first!"

Without waiting for Ventus to decide differently, Vanitas had held his hand tight and begun to run.

" _Y-Young master!"_

Vanitas pulled him through the crowds of people, weaving and dodging around other students and dawdling parents, until they had run down the stairs leading into the subway. The doors of the train waiting at one side of the platform were just beginning to slide closed, but Vanitas didn't slow down at all. Taking his chance, he just managed to get them on board before the doors were snapping shut behind them, the train already jolting into motion.

Ventus was silent as he fell into the nearest seat and tried to catch his breath, Vanitas slumping down beside him a second later. "That was… _great!_ " Vanitas wheezed, trying to breathe while he laughed so hard he went red in the face.

"Y-Yeah…" Ventus quietly agreed, still a little bit bewildered by this turn of events. The train they were on wasn't even going in the right direction to home, but he realised he didn't really care in that moment. He felt exhilarated from their mad dash for freedom, and all he could see now was Vanitas' fantastic smile, something like hope blooming warm in his chest.

Vanitas finally looked at him and breathed in sharply, his eyes racing over Ventus' face.

"You're smiling…"

Ventus had actually lifted a hand to his face, feeling stupid for it a second later. He _was_ smiling, his cheeks even aching from how foreign an expression it was. It'd been so long since he'd even had anything to smile about. Uncertain all over again, he looked back at Vanitas, his smile quickly vanishing.

"I don't get why you're helping me."

"Because," Vanitas said, still excited. "You're just like me."

Ventus didn't get it, his expression saying it all.

Vanitas started to explain. "Well, I'm not a stupid rich kid and I'm also _heaps_ cooler, but –"

"S-Stop calling me that!" Ventus angrily interrupted him. "I have a name, you know!"

Vanitas looked at him like it had honestly never occurred to him that Ventus might actually have a name of his own. "Oh. What is it then?"

"Ventus."

Vanitas hummed approvingly. " _Ventus._ I like it."

Ventus had felt himself grow warm, all the way up to the tips of his ears.

"I'm Vanitas," Vanitas told him, matter of fact, and Ventus wondered how this boy who had been nothing but horrible to him could have turned out to be so genuine. Even so, he had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"I know who you are."

Vanitas simply shrugged, appearing oddly proud of himself. "Everybody knows. My teacher says my 'reputation precedes me'.

Ventus snorted and Vanitas laughed loudly before catching sight of Ventus' smile again. He smiled crookedly back at him and it was Ventus' favourite one yet.

"You know? You should smile more."

Ventus chewed on the side of his bottom lip and looked away to stare out of the train window. There was nothing but darkness on the other side, quick flashes of light briefly flickering passed. He shrugged stiffly.

"Haven't had anything to smile about."

Vanitas smirked, pointing a thumb at his own chest. "Well, you've got me now. That's worth smiling about."

Ventus had looked back at him evenly. He hesitated over his own words. "Does that mean we're... friends?"

Vanitas seemed thoughtful. "You want to be?"

They stared at each other, as if it had been one of the most important decisions of their lives. Ventus tried smiling again, feeling more and more like his old self.

"Yeah. I do."

Vanitas grinned back at him. "Friends, it is."

-0-

"…Ventus?"

Ventus mentally gave himself a shake, his eyes flicking back across to the man seated in front of him. He gave his father a small, sheepish smile in apology.

"S-Sorry, I was just… lost in thought."

His father returned his smile, albeit a little awkwardly. "So I could see…" He shifted in his seat, clearly restless, glancing away from Ventus and then down at his cup of tea.

"Is… everything alright at your new workplace?"

His father looked over at him again as he tentatively asked the question, making an obvious effort to maintain their eye-contact. Ventus could see he was trying, even if his expression was still noticeably strained.

"Everything is fine." Ventus answered quietly, still smiling that small polite smile he usually reserved for parents of his student's, or for other such superficial acquaintances. He knew both he and his father would have come to realise that making small-talk like this was incredibly awkward for them, but he still had to try and make the most of it. A handful of stilted conversations wouldn't be enough to salvage the remnants of their relationship, but Ventus still believed it was never too late for them to attempt building something more worthwhile between them. In an off-handed way, this second chance to make amends with his father was something Ventus could actually _thank_ Vanitas for helping bring about.

It was Sunday morning, a day after his meeting with Vanitas in the café, and Ventus had taken it upon himself to go and spend some time checking in on his father. His father was living in a small apartment in a reasonably well to-do part of the city, but it was nothing near as grand as the lifestyle he was more accustomed to. After he and his wife had unfortunately fallen out with each other, his father had suffered financially, and with the economy on the downturn, he'd had no choice but to file for bankruptcy. Living in Kyoto as he was, Ventus had known none of this until his father had contacted him from out of nowhere, all but begging him for his help – _insisting_ that he was being 'held' against his will until his gambling debts in particular were all paid in full. At the time, Ventus had just thought his father was using an overly dramatic figure of speech. It was only after entering that room that day and seeing Vanitas behind that desk did he realise his father had been deathly serious. He'd never had any doubt about coming to his father's aid, even if he was still bitter about things that time had long since dulled the pain of, but if he hadn't come through with the money, would he have unknowingly sentenced his father to an untimely, _gruesome_ fate? He shuddered at the thought, especially with what he knew of Vanitas' method of 'tying up' loose ends.

He'd never thought of his father as a gambling man, but there were many things he'd come to understand he wouldn't know about him, especially when they'd spent most of their lives keeping away from each other. Fortunately enough, his father had managed to kick his gambling addiction and had recently secured himself a decent job in his field; he and his wife even back on speaking terms with each other, which Ventus was all too glad to hear. Even after so long, he couldn't really bring himself to hate his father, despite their tumultuous history. He knew deep down his father wasn't a bad person and genuinely felt like he could be happy for him now, seeing him slowly getting his life back in order. He was content to have this chance, and maybe, they could eventually be like an actual father and son again, exactly how it had been, before his mother had left them.

"Um, how is… Kairi doing? Do you see her much?" Ventus asked quietly, his change of subject not exactly subtle. He knew his father would be more comfortable in talking about something closer to home, though, instead of being subjected to listening to boring babble about teaching and revising lesson plans.

At just the mention of Kairi, his father's face lit up like a single candle cutting through the gloom. Ventus schooled his features, his smile frozen on his face. He couldn't help the twinge of jealousy that instantly spiked through him.

"Kairi is very well," His father beamed, his tone of voice full of his fondness for her. "Now that I'm speaking to her mother again I can see her more regularly. She's just begun her fifth year at school."

Ventus nodded, but said nothing, the strain of keeping his smile in place almost becoming painful. He breathed in slowly through his nose, willing the tension to drain out of him. His half-sister, Kairi, would be ten this year, and Ventus had never even met her. He didn't even know what she _looked_ like. The wave of bitterness left him as quickly as it had come, replaced only with a more profound feeling of sadness. To some people, family was so important, and yet, for him, he'd never experienced such a privilege.

"She's _exceptionally_ bright for her age," his father pressed on, oblivious to Ventus' inner turmoil. "I've been told she's already studying mathematics on a higher level to that of her peers."

"That's… very impressive," Ventus agreed, his fingers slightly trembling as he leaned forwards and reached for his tea cup. He cradled the cup firmly between his hands, the warmth of the tea slowly starting to seep into his skin. He just needed something to quickly ground him, the sharp heat burning into his palms working to help quash that destructive voice in the back of his head that was beginning to whisper to him again, long-repressed worries and doubts all rising to the surface. It wasn't really working for him, though. Try as he might, there was nothing he could do to stop the ensuing flood.

How could his father sit there and rave about his other child like she was the most precious thing in the world to him, while Ventus had ultimately meant _nothing?_

Why… hadn't he ever been good enough? _Why_ had he been… _abandoned?_

Despite his efforts, something must have shown on his face, because his father suddenly stopped talking, his expression a strange mix of emotions. Ventus recognised a brief flash of embarrassment and shame before his father's stone-wall defences were sliding back into place. He looked away from Ventus and cleared his throat roughly, silently reaching for his cup of tea, as well. Ventus worried the inside of his bottom lip with his teeth, mentally pushing himself to say something more, even as he fought the urge to be stubborn. Why the hell was he the one feeling guilty? _He_ hadn't been the one to so blatantly favour one child over the other…

Getting angry with himself a little bit, he told himself to let it go – and quickly. It wasn't going to help anything in the slightest if he didn't learn to leave such things in the past – that went without saying for a number of other things as well…

"I… I'm glad she's doing so well," he tried again, pleased to hear he genuinely sounded sincere, even as his hands tightened around his cup. "I'd really love to meet her someday."

His father didn't meet his eyes, nor acknowledge he'd heard what he'd said in any way, only taking a long drink of his tea before gently setting the cup back down on the table.

"That man…" His father said unexpectedly, his eyes intense as he looked back at Ventus.

"Vanitas Ishi."

As if someone was pulling him by strings, Ventus sat up straight so fast he felt one of his vertebra click in his spine.

"…What about him?" Ventus murmured, his lips suddenly feeling numb, moving of their own accord.

His father opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, his eyes all but burning into Ventus'. Finally, he managed to form words.

"…What did he…?" He abruptly cut himself off, his eyes squeezing shut briefly in anguish before he opened them again, his expression grim.

"I thought… he would… _kill_ you."

Ventus blinked and stared down into his tea, the atmosphere in the room completely shifting. Somewhere nearby, he could hear a clock ticking, the seconds passing dragging more like hours. He swallowed thickly, remembering Vanitas' hands sliding along his bare skin, his lips pressed to the shell of his ear. He suppressed a shiver.

"...I thought so, too."

A part of him wanted to say more, but there was no point in elaborating. Discussing Vanitas in any context with his father wasn't exactly something he ever saw himself doing, with _anyone_ for that matter. Some things were just best left unsaid.

His father stared across at him a moment longer, his jaw working uselessly. It almost looked like he wanted to speak again but something was holding him back. Ventus waited, his nerves on edge. He didn't want to keep talking about this, even if his father felt like he needed to. As far as Ventus was concerned, anything to do with Vanitas was dangerous territory.

"Well," his father eventually said, his tone of voice clipped and sharp. "Thank you for visiting me. I'll… call you if I ever need anything." He stood from his seat and Ventus hurried to do the same, the pace of their conversation and now this abrupt farewell throwing him completely off balance.

"Sure…" was all Ventus could say, watching his father already walking towards the door. Ventus set his cup down on the table and quietly followed, confusion still swirling around him. He couldn't help but feel like… he was missing something.

Giving Ventus a rather tense smile, his father held the door open for him as Ventus obediently stepped through.

"Take care," Ventus murmured, hoping his face wasn't revealing too much of what he was feeling. He couldn't help thinking his father's words seemed so… final.

His father gave him a nod, that irritatingly pained smile still plastered across his face.

"You, as well," he managed, before he was closing the door on Ventus, the silence of the hallway swallowing him up. It almost seemed to press in on him, white noise filling his head.

Ventus just stood there for a moment, one of his hands lifting to trail his fingers down the worn, painted lacquer of the door. That… had not gone as well as he had intended it to, his mind unhelpfully conjuring up every other time his father had closed doors right in face, the fact that it was literally and figuratively not being lost on him.

He began making his way home, feeling more tired than ever before. The subway was blissfully uncrowded at this time of day, Ventus easily securing himself a seat as the train made its way back into the thick of the city. From there, he'd have to transfer to another line in order to get home, but that didn't bother him. It wasn't like he was in a rush for anything, only a single stack of assignments left for him to go over tonight before classes resumed tomorrow. He stared across the carriage, his eyes blankly fixated on the flashes of grey and white light outside of the train, glimpses of other stations flying passed and vanishing again in an instant. He tried not to dwell on it, but the image of his father's conflicted expression was burned into the forefront of his mind. Ventus was more than sure he'd been about to say something – something important if the look on his face was anything to go by. Now, he'd probably never know, but he tried to not let that get to him. Maybe, after a few more conversations, his father would be able to open up to him a little more and they could actually talk about things that mattered. If they didn't even attempt breaking down some of their walls they'd never become any closer.

A burst of laughter off to his left pulled Ventus from his thoughts. He glanced over and saw two boys sitting close together, both of them roughly around middle school age. One of the boys held a Nintendo DS between his hands and was thoroughly immersed in it, his friend at his side leaning heavily against him and excitedly watching the small screen too. As Ventus watched, the boy playing the DS obviously did something right because they both suddenly grinned at each other, the other boy lightly bumping their heads together. It might have been nothing out of the ordinary, but Ventus couldn't help noticing that one of the boys looked foreign, his hair a light shade of brown and his eyes noticeably blue. The other boy, though, playing the DS, was at a glance native Japanese, his short black hair a carefully stylised mess, sticking up in all directions. Ventus looked down at his hands resting in his lap and fought it as hard as he could, but his mind was already going there. They reminded him of _them._

How many times had he and Vanitas taken the train home together after school? They wouldn't always have money for the fare either, Vanitas teaching Ventus how to successfully pick-pocket weary-looking businessman from under the cover of the rush hour crush, and if that wasn't always an option, Ventus had mastered the art of jumping a station turnstile if need be. As an adult, he knew now it'd been the wrong thing to do, but Vanitas had been such an influence on him growing up that for a while there he'd willingly gone along with anything. Finally having a friend had meant so much to him, he hadn't wanted to give Vanitas any reason to leave him, but as their friendship and time together progressed and became longer, Ventus had learned that Vanitas, although wilful and loudly opinionated, would never _ever_ make him do something he didn't want to.

The boys across from him had now switched over, the one with the light brown hair having a turn at playing the DS. The other boy kept shoving him with his shoulder, trying to throw him off his game, but the boy playing just grinned harder and held the DS further out of reach. The sight of them made Ventus' chest feel tight, a hard lump lodging in his throat.

As used to it as he was of thinking of Vanitas lately, it wasn't any less exhausting. It had been the same when he'd first left him, and he was mature enough now to realise that it would take some time again to get his head back into a safe space. Eventually his thoughts would turn to other more worthwhile things and his musings over what Vanitas was doing, or what he was up to would all fade into obscurity. He knew he just needed time, needed to be patient with himself. Reliving such a profound heartbreak was never going to be something he could just 'wish' away, or wipe from his memories. He already _knew_ he could move on, but now it was more a matter of _how long_ was this emotionally draining saga going to continue before it was finally over? How much more could he take without completely losing his mind?

He'd only met with him yesterday, but he already felt like Vanitas was being _too_ quiet, the uncertainty of it all putting him on high alert. If Vanitas wasn't giving up, he was obviously planning something, Ventus anticipating some sort of psychological warfare, knowing that Vanitas would most likely come at him from a different angle this time. He didn't want to have to deal with it, but he knew fighting back against Vanitas was now his only option to be free of him.

 _I can't…_ Vanitas' voice whispered to him. _It's not enough… It's never enough…_

Gritting his teeth, Ventus drew in a deep breath and angrily forced Vanitas from his mind. Time, he reminded himself again, just _time_ was all he needed. Soon, he'd stop feeling like this. Soon, he'd feel okay again. He just had to keep believing that.

For one, brief moment, he considered contacting Terra in Kyoto. Maybe, it would be for the best if he just moved back there as soon as possible. He knew Terra would be happy to front his board while he got back on his feet – knew he'd have his friend's support without a single doubt, but then, what about his father? He couldn't just leave him so soon… could he?

As much as he wanted to return to Kyoto and leave all this mess behind him, he at least had to stay until he and his father had become something more meaningful to each other. Yes, this morning had been incredibly awkward, but in retrospect, there had once been a time where they hadn't even been able to be in the same room together, so they had already made a huge step forward in Ventus' books. That bitter voice in the back of his head still managed to wonder how long his father would be grateful towards him before he was back to cutting him out again, but Ventus really wanted to believe that wouldn't happen. Losing everything had certainly made his father more humble. He'd never forget how his father had also risked his own life to protect him, that day Ventus had pleaded with Vanitas to be punished in his stead. Just the thought of it warmed his heart, and it was all the proof he needed that his father still cared about him, even if he had a hard time expressing it.

Smiling a little to himself, Ventus relaxed his shoulders and felt a lot more at ease. He made a point of avoiding looking at the two boys again, opting to open up his phone and click into one of his iBooks instead. The last thing he needed right now was more latent memories pushing their way to the surface, right when he'd found some semblance of balance.

The rest of the journey home was uneventful, but as fate would have it, time wasn't something Ventus had on his side.

Turning the key in his apartment's front door, Ventus was only half paying attention, wondering if he should make himself something simple to eat and finish off the rest of the assignments he had to mark, or to just put all that aside for later and give in to a much-needed midday nap, when he stepped through the doorway and instantly froze. From a glance, nothing at all was out of place inside, except for where his twenty-inch, second-hand television used to sit on top of one of his bookcases, there was now a _ridiculously huge_ , plasma screen TV – _installed_ against the _wall_ to boot.

Ventus stared at it, his face the very picture of slack-jawed shock, reflected perfectly in the new television's excessively shiny screen. His first irrational thought was that there hadn't even been a power socket there, so how was it even connected to power? He'd had to set up an extension lead for the TV when he'd first moved in, running it against the wall to the only other socket in the room, which was situated low in one of the room's corners. In somewhat of a daze, Ventus silently walked over towards the TV, leaning over his bookcase to peer behind the back of it. As if it had always been there, installed in the middle of the wall, was a brand new, dual power socket, an antenna socket as well, neatly positioned beside it. The behemoth of a TV was plugged in and humming quietly, Ventus' eyes flicking over towards the couch where a remote control and user's guide sat innocently waiting for him.

It was in that moment, that Ventus wondered if he'd ever gotten so angry so quickly in all of his life.

He'd been so caught up in meeting with Vanitas yesterday and worrying about the outcome, that he'd completely forgotten to mention that he was already aware of him having trespassed here once before. Not _only_ had Vanitas broken into his apartment _again,_ but he'd obviously waited until Ventus had left to see his father this morning and then sent in someone to install the TV, _and_ the _power sockets._ Ventus couldn't help but think if Vanitas had already just let himself in _twice_ , how many _other_ times had he done it without him even noticing?

Ventus' eyes widened as he slowly scanned the entire room, another sudden realisation hitting him. If Vanitas _had_ known this morning when he'd left here… was it possible he was somehow _watching_ him? Right this very _second?_

His paranoia spiking through the roof, Ventus threw himself into action. He pulled his books from their shelves, one by one, shaking them and flicking through their pages. He dragged the couch cushions off the couch, peered under his bed like checking for demons and turned every single box, container and knick-knack he owned upside down, searching through anything and everything that he could lay his hands on, feverishly scrutinising any possible hiding place that could even remotely conceal a small camera or listening device.

Panting quietly, Ventus eventually stopped, the chaos of what was once his tidy, organised apartment now spread out all around him. He sat on the floor amongst it all, his back up against the shell of the couch, legs flung out in front of him. The large plasma screen TV glistened pristine in it's position on the wall, silently mocking him.

Nothing. He'd managed to find nothing. But that alone wasn't helping his anger.

Fingers shaking, Ventus urged himself to try and keep it together as he slowly withdrew his phone from his pocket. His anger obliterating his nerves, he scrolled through his most recent phone numbers before finding the only one that hadn't been saved under a name. He stabbed at it, his phone promptly beginning the call. As soon as it connected, he didn't give Vanitas a chance to speak first.

"You _ever_ break into my apartment again, I'll be moving back to Kyoto within the _hour_."

Vanitas didn't immediately say anything and Ventus silently congratulated himself on keeping his voice level. He didn't want to give Vanitas the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten to him, in any way, shape or form.

Eventually Vanitas sighed and Ventus could almost imagine him rolling his eyes.

"You're bluffing."

"It wouldn't be hard to do." Ventus snapped, his words sharp. "In fact, it's probably the best idea I've had all week."

Vanitas hummed quietly, and Ventus could tell he was most likely choosing his next words carefully.

"I think you've got too much to stay for, don't you? I'm sure your _father_ wouldn't like to see you go so soon."

Vanitas' words, although surprisingly lacking in any sort of hidden undertone, hit a nerve within Ventus. After the morning he'd had he couldn't help but doubt his father would even care if he did leave again. Because ultimately, he'd gotten what he wanted, right? Just someone to… take on his debts?

Chasing those mutinous thoughts away, Ventus swallowed hard and finally recognised the slight bitterness in Vanitas' voice for what it was. They both knew Vanitas didn't give a damn about his father. He only wanted Ventus to stay for _him_.

"I'm sure my ' _father'_ would be fine without me." Ventus bit out, throwing Vanitas' words back at him. "But that's not the point here. How'd you know I wasn't home? Are you having me followed again? Or have you got cameras hidden around my apartment? So _help_ me, Vanitas! If you've –!"

"I didn't."

Ventus narrowed his eyes. "Didn't _what?"_

"I didn't know you weren't home. I instructed the installation guy to tell you you'd won it in a raffle from your school."

"...Oh." Ventus mumbled, deflating against the couch. "But… he still just let himself in!"

"Also wrong." And now Vanitas was sounding smug. "The guy told me your neighbour let him in. She thought it'd be a nice surprise for you since you work so hard."

Ventus felt like his brain was melting, all of the fight rapidly draining out of him. There was only one of his neighbours here who had a spare key to his apartment, which was just in case he locked himself out, or happened to lose his own set.

"Mrs… Amari?"

"That was her," Vanitas confirmed. "She said she was going to leave you a note. I take it you didn't find it?"

Still speechless, Ventus scanned the carnage all around him, finally spotting something over towards the apartment door. There, lying forgotten on the floor, he could just see a small folded piece of note paper that had obviously fallen there at some point, most likely when he was busy tearing the entire room apart. He didn't _have_ to believe what Vanitas was telling him, but it was kind of hard when the ugly truth was glaring him in the face. He couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed, but _surely_ his suspicions had been warranted. This _was_ Vanitasafter all.

Vanitas snorted, drawing Ventus' attention back to him.

"You really think I'd put cameras up in your apartment? I'm not a psychopath, Ventus."

Now, Ventus was officially _done._ The phone nearly slipped through his fingers. Had he… fallen into an alternate reality? Was he even talking to the same _person_ anymore?

"So, do you like it?"

Ventus had to take a moment to process Vanitas had actually asked him something.

"...What?"

"The TV." Vanitas prompted.

Ventus glared at the offending television in question. "I hate it. As soon as I hang up on you I'm ripping it off the wall."

"I thought you'd be happy." Vanitas sounded disappointed. "It was one of the things we wanted the most."

 _You wanted,_ Ventus thought sullenly, still glowering up at the giant shiny screen. Vanitas had always been envious of things he couldn't afford, and Ventus… well, maybe, in truth… he'd been a little envious too.

A television, specifically, was something they'd always wanted when they were younger, Vanitas more so than Ventus. A lot of other kids their age wouldn't really consider it a big deal, since practically everybody owned one, but Vanitas had always wanted what he couldn't have. Ventus had been content enough with his 100 yen thrift books he regularly acquired from the second-hand shop on the corner, but Vanitas despised his poverty, whereas Ventus had just come to accept it. Surviving on packet ramen and just having enough money to pay the rent each month had been better than the alternative; living with his father had been downright suffocating. He remembered having a television when he was younger, but had rarely found himself interested in watching it after his mother had died. He'd actually found it rare to have an interest in anything after that, really, Vanitas the only person who had been able to break through the stupor that his life had become.

He remembered a time when he and Vanitas had been teenagers and he had once secretly saved up enough money for Vanitas' birthday to take them both out to the cinema. It had been amazing. Vanitas had held his hand the entire time, grinning like an idiot, his eyes glued to the gigantic screen. Ventus couldn't remember the movie at all, but he did remember how happy he'd been, seeing something so simple make Vanitas look like that. They had only just started dating.

"Maybe, you've forgotten that none of that stuff matters to me, Vanitas. You're not gonna sway me into thinking differently by _buying_ me things."

Ventus wasn't pulling any punches. He knew the last time he'd said anything along the same lines to Vanitas it had been the night he'd walked out on him. But Vanitas surprised him again, specifically choosing to only hear what he wanted to hear.

"So, what you're saying is… there's another way."

Ventus felt a nerve in his eye twitch. He really should have worded that differently.

"I'm turning my phone off."

Vanitas sighed so quietly Ventus almost missed it.

"I think… you should have dinner with me. Next weekend." Vanitas said. "Let me 'sway' you another way."

Ventus opened his mouth to speak, but Vanitas interrupted him.

"It doesn't have to be complicated, Ventus."

Ventus thought of a million different ways to answer that before he ultimately settled on saying nothing. Lifting his phone away from his ear he pressed the end call button and stared down at it in silence. He looked up at the TV again, then around at all the mess surrounding him.

A midday nap suddenly didn't seem such a bad idea.

-0-

A few days passed without incident and Ventus felt himself slowly easing back into a more relaxed, regular routine. He commuted to work on time, he taught his classes without dramas, and at night he returned home, all without anyone following him or any more messages or phone calls from Vanitas. He almost felt like his life was returning to normal, but it was still too soon to be too optimistic.

Tuesday morning was when he finally started contemplating what he was to do with the gargantuan television he'd been 'gifted', but he was honestly coming up short of ideas. The stubborn side of him was telling him to get rid of it quickly, simply because if Vanitas knew he was keeping it, then it would mean more than it should and possibly encourage him to do more. The rational part of him was settling on leaving it where it was, though, mainly because it really did look quite heavy, and right now, lugging something of this size down his apartment building's stairs was nothing short of unappealing. He could always demand Vanitas remove it for him, ( _and give back his old TV, damn it)_ but then that would mean more phone calls and _more_ interaction and that was _exactly_ what Vanitas wanted. No way in hell was Ventus playing into his hands like that.

Flicking idly through yesterday's local newspaper, Ventus sat at his dining table with a bowl of cereal half-eaten in front of him. It was a rare weekday morning where he could just have a leisurely breakfast like this and he was quietly making the most of it. He wasn't even dressed for work yet, still comfortable in his boxer shorts and plain cotton t-shirt. Sometimes he had music playing while he showered and got ready, but it was fortunate he'd chosen not to today, otherwise he might have missed the strange, muted shuffling coming from outside of his apartment's door. Someone walking passed down the hallway usually wouldn't bother him, but he just managed to hear the person mumble something and it was more the timbre of their voice that instantly captured his attention. It was too familiar to be a coincidence.

Abandoning his cereal for the moment, Ventus silently made his way over towards the door and peered through the peephole. At first he saw nothing, not sure of what he was supposed to be looking for, but then startling him, a person was straightening up directly in front of his door and Ventus recognised him immediately. It was the young man from the grocery store, the one Vanitas had told him was a master at Aikido.

Without hesitation, Ventus flung the door open.

Taken by surprise, the man squawked rather a touch too loudly and stumbled backwards, falling hard against the opposite wall. He looked at Ventus with wild, panicked eyes.

"Y-You! You're supposed to be at work!"

Ventus folded his arms and glowered across at him. "I changed my classes, so you idiots would stop following me around." This wasn't actually true, but there was no way the other guy would know that. It was a sport's carnival day today and he was only required to be at school from midday onwards. Late starts were rare and an absolute blessing whenever he got one, not that he'd managed any extra sleep this time around, though.

The man was so obviously embarrassed, he looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up, his eyes darting everywhere but at Ventus as he straightened up against the wall and sloppily fell into a low bow.

"R-Right! Please excuse me, but I gotta go! I… wasn't supposed to be seen…"

As he bowed and began edging away from him, Ventus noticed for the first time what the man had been bending down to leave on his doorstep. There at his feet was a small brown box, painfully plain and ridiculously suspicious. It was tied closed with a simple bit of string. Ventus stared down at it, his mouth set into a thin, hard line.

"What's in the box?"

The man froze on the spot, already half-turned away and retreating. Reluctantly, he turned back around to face him.

"I... don't know. I was just instructed to leave it here for you."

Ventus stabbed a finger down at the box, his eyes hard. "If you think I'm opening that, you've got another think coming. Throw it in the trash on your way out."

" _What!?_ I couldn't do that!" The man squeaked, looking as if Ventus had just told him to kick a puppy or something. He bent down and snatched the small box back up, holding it between his hands as if trying to protect it.

"You open it then." Ventus insisted, crossing his arms again. There wasn't even the slightest of chances he was taking it into his apartment. Who knew what the hell was inside of it – who knew if whatever was in there was even _legal?_

The man looked all the more anxious now, glancing up from the box and meeting Ventus' eyes directly.

"Are… Are you ordering me to…?"

It was in that moment, when Ventus could plainly see how scared the guy actually was that he realised he really shouldn't be 'shooting the messenger'. It wasn't the guy's fault he was just trying to follow orders. Even if he was a lackey for Vanitas, Ventus had to remind himself this 'man' was really just a kid still, only 17 and probably scared out of his wits being held accountable for whatever his father had done to warrant Vanitas' wrath. In a way, they weren't so different if he thought of it like that.

Ventus sighed heavily through his nose, feeling like he'd somehow stooped to Vanitas' level. He offered the guy a dry smile, gingerly lifting the box from his hands.

"On second thought… I'll take it. I wouldn't want you getting into trouble."

Slowly and still a little unsure, the man grinned at him, his relief clear on his face.

"Thanks Fujin-sama. You're a good guy."

Bowing low, the tension between them gone, the man went to leave again but Ventus suddenly recalled the last time they'd had a conversation and remembered what had been said.

"Wait a second," Ventus mumbled, his curiosity getting the better of him. "I wanna ask you something."

The man stopped again, surprised, but this time he didn't look worried. He walked back to stand in front of Ventus expectantly.

"Um, what's your name?"

Now the man just looked excited, like Ventus asking for his name was some kind of honour. He bowed again, grinning happily.

"My name's Demyx! It's a pleasure to serve you, sir." He stood upright again, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I know you're different, so I'll do my best, okay?"

Ventus raised his eyebrows but initially said nothing. It hadn't escaped his notice that Demyx hadn't offered his last name. He briefly wondered who Demyx's father was for him to keep his identity a secret like that, but that wasn't what was important right now. What he really wanted was answers.

"That's… kinda what I'm wondering about." Ventus said, Demyx looking at him with confusion, waiting for him to elaborate.

"What did you mean that day I caught you following me around? You said something about it being 'true' what they say about me. Who's they…? And how am I 'different'?"

Demyx pursed his lips and hummed thoughtfully, his eyes flickering off to the side. He looked like he didn't really want to answer but obviously didn't have much of a choice with Ventus putting him on the spot like this.

"The other guys… that Ishi-sama was having follow you." Demyx began, quickly rushing on when he caught sight of Ventus' expression. "They're all curious about you, because the boss has never professed to ever having any friends before."

"He called me his friend?" Ventus frowned, wondering where this was going. Did Vanitas really sit around gossiping to his goons about him?

"Well… not exactly." Demyx went on, rubbing at the side of his neck this time. "All he said was that you were important, and that you were to be kept safe at all costs."

Ventus didn't know how he felt about that. Demyx made it sound so completely innocent, but stalking someone was never okay in any scenario.

"The guys like you, so don't worry!" Demyx continued, gaining more enthusiasm the more he went on. "Before I was assigned to stake out your school, they told me what they'd seen of you, that you give your seat up on the train for the elderly, and give money and food all the time to any homeless people you come across on the streets." He beamed at Ventus. "It's really admirable."

Ventus wasn't convinced. He almost felt like Demyx was making fun of him. "I thought the yakuza would more laugh at me for that? Doesn't it make it look like I'm a pushover? That I'm _too_ nice?"

Demyx shook his head, still smiling. "Not at all! The Ishi-kai also have the same old-fashioned ideals."

Ventus sorely doubted that, but decided against saying it out loud. It briefly struck him that for a supposed hostage of the _Ishi-kai,_ Demyx was oddly quite supportive of them.

"I don't… get you," Ventus mumbled, Demyx' expression falling. "I thought you were being forced into this…? That Vanitas was teaching your father a 'lesson' by keeping you captive..."

If Demyx was surprised that Ventus knew this, he didn't outwardly show it. He gave him a small smile, shrugging slightly.

"It was scary at first, but… I know I'm worth more alive than dead." Demyx looked sad, his eyes far away and Ventus didn't think melancholy suited him at all. "And my father. I didn't know it before now, but he's a bad man. And maybe losing me for a little bit will help wake him up."

Ventus didn't know what to say. He knew nothing of Demyx' life, or that of his father's, and suddenly he knew more than he needed to. Demyx blinked and sort of came back to himself. He still looked serious as he smiled at Ventus again, his next words quiet.

"He really needs you, ya know?"

Ventus started slightly, his expression sharp. He unconsciously squeezed the little box tighter, ready to ask Demyx for some sort of explanation, but Demyx was already speaking again.

"I haven't been around as long, and the other guys have told me stories of how bad he _used_ to be, but we all kinda agree that the boss has been different lately. Ever since you showed up."

"Different…? How?" Ventus heard his own voice from as if far away, too curious now to stop himself from asking.

Demyx looked thoughtful, really considering it, and Ventus already knew he believed him. "Well, he's still just as terrifying, don't get me wrong! But now, it's like… he's got purpose. He seems more… rational too. And balanced."

Ventus found himself speechless.

 _It's only because I'm with you..._ Vanitas' words and soft smile came back to him, that day in the cafe still sharp in his memory. He didn't know how to feel about this, unsure of what Demyx was even telling him for. What was he supposed to do? Give Vanitas a chance just because his presence somehow made him a better person?

"I'm sorry," Demyx said, breaking through into Ventus' thoughts. "I didn't mean to upset you. I always end up babbling too much!" He bowed low again, their conversation obviously at an end. He didn't wait for Ventus to answer before he was already hurrying away down the hallway.

"Have a great day! I'll let Ishi-sama know that you've received the package."

Ventus watched him go till he was out of sight, raising his hand to mirror Demyx' wave but not really processing what he was doing.

Returning inside, Ventus sat cross-legged on the couch, the little box resting in his lap. He slid his fingers along the bare cardboard, turning it over and over and looking at each side in turn. It was completely unmarked, no note or anything to give him some sort of clue as to what was inside. He shook it slightly, something solid moving within. He had no idea of what to expect. Slowly, he pulled at the string.

Lifting open the lid, Ventus looked inside, at first glance seeing that the box seemed to be full of nothing but white tissue paper. Puzzled, he shuffled the tissue paper out of the way, swiftly revealing –

A single peach.

Ventus stared down at it, his hands going still. The peach was a soft pink colour with flecks of creamy yellow speckled over it, contrasting beautifully with the white tissue paper it was cradled in. Gently, he lifted it out of the box, sliding his fingers over it's velvety skin. On reflex, he held it to his nose and closed his eyes, breathing in it's scent. It smelled perfectly sweet.

It was only then he realised Vanitas wasn't just _buying_ him things. He was _reminding_ him.

His eyes half-mast and still staring blankly at the peach, Ventus slowly let his hand drop until it was resting on his thigh. He knew what Vanitas was trying to do and it wasn't going to work. Reminding him of their past and of all the times they had spent together wasn't going to fix _anything_. Just the slight reminder of how great it had been was enough to bring back the onslaught of pain of what he had ultimately lost – what would _always_ be out of his reach – and would _never_ … be the same again.

His eyes started to sting. Tentatively, he lifted the peach back up to his lips and took a small bite.

It was far too sweet, but still delicious, the pale pink juice running through his fingers.

-0-

Although nothing out of the ordinary had happened at the sport's carnival, Ventus still felt like he'd had a hard day. In actual fact, he'd worked less than he usually did, only having to oversee a few athletic events and mind his own class, but just knowing that wasn't enough to relieve his exhaustion.

He was on the train travelling home when he'd made the snap decision to go see his father. He hadn't called ahead or anything, so he was hoping it would be okay, but right now, he really needed someone to talk to and his father was unfortunately his only option. There was always Terra, but Ventus already knew what he'd say… which was probably an answer in itself. He knew Terra would just encourage him to return to Kyoto, but he didn't want to run away, not again, not when he still had a chance of fixing things here.

The very last thing he wanted to do right now was to return to his dark and empty apartment. What if Vanitas had sent something else for him? Would there be another box waiting for him on his doorstep, sitting there expectantly, silently tormenting him? He wanted the company more than anything, so hopefully his father was willing to accommodate him. It was still early in the evening, and the thought of them having dinner together seemed strangely comforting.

Half an hour later, he stood in front of his father's apartment door, his heart beating a strong, nervous rhythm. Taking a second to collect himself, Ventus raised his hand before he could talk himself out of it and knocked firmly against the door. The echoing sound of it surprised him, harsh in the quiet of the hallway. He didn't have long to wait until the door was opening for him, but it still felt like he'd been standing there for an eternity.

His father looked out at him, clearly surprised, his mouth slightly open.

"Ventus. What are you doing here?" He didn't look at all happy to see him.

Ventus forced a weak smile.

"Hi… Dad. Sorry for not calling ahead. I just… really wanted to see you."

His father went to speak, but a child's laugh from somewhere behind him made him pause, Ventus raising his eyebrows at the sound of it. He looked over his father's shoulder and into the room beyond, and what he saw there made his mouth go dry.

At his father's dining room table sat two people, one he recognised as his step-mother, and the other, a little girl, who he could only assume was Kairi. From the looks of things they were in the midst of enjoying a family dinner, many dishes and all sorts of food spread out on the table between them. Kairi wasn't laughing anymore, but staring over towards where Ventus stood with his father. It was only then that Ventus realised that he'd pushed through into the entrance, his father now standing wordlessly beside him.

Ventus felt like a stranger looking in, like he was intruding on something intimate and private. These people, who were supposed to be his family, all here together and enjoying themselves – enjoying each other's company, were obviously fine without having him present. He was quick to remember that he'd never belonged here with them. His family… had never wanted him. He couldn't stop the hurt, the raw torment that bubbled up inside of him. Kairi and his step-mother were now completely silent, both of their faces coloured with fear.

"Why…? _Why_ did you throw me away?"

The question was directed at his father, but Ventus still stared straight ahead, his step-mother slightly shrinking away from him. No one breathed a word as Kairi ran around the table to scramble into her mother's lap.

Swallowing hard, fighting himself, Ventus turned wooden eyes on his father, pinning him in place.

"When mum died… all I needed was you to be there for me..." He couldn't help the edge of anger that crept into his voice. "– And you _never were!"_

Kairi cowered and buried her face against her mother's chest, Ventus' step-mother protectively wrapping her arms around her. Ventus' eyes widened, the anger leaving him as quickly as it had come. He wasn't this person, so what the hell was he _doing?_ He hadn't come here to cause a scene, he'd only come here to find some comfort, but now, there was no way he would be receiving any semblance of that.

Startling him, his father sharply clapped him on the shoulder, diverting his attention. Ventus turned to look at him with wild eyes, already wanting to escape.

"D-Dad, I-I didn't mean for it to come out that way! I'm sor– !"

"It's fine." His father squeezed his shoulder, already steering him back towards the door. "We can talk out here."

His father lead him back out into the hallway, closing the door behind them. Ventus felt slightly panicked, not failing to notice that his father would rather talk to him out _here_ than bring him further into his apartment.

They stood quietly for a moment, his father refusing to meet his eyes.

"There's something… you should know. It's probably been enough time. It will explain things." His father's voice was hesitant but his words were still firm. Ventus felt like his heart was threatening to burst out of his chest. He swallowed hard, reminding himself to breathe. What was his father… talking about?

"Your mother… I loved her. With _all_ my heart…" His father quietly began, still staring at the floor between their feet. "But she _never_ loved me in return." He finally glanced up at Ventus, the look in his eyes tortured. "It was only on her deathbed that she finally confessed to me. She was having an affair… with someone she worked with. For a very. _long_. time."

Ventus gasped as if he'd been slapped. He unconsciously took a step backwards. "It – It can't be true…"

"And you…" His father went on, his voice slightly trembling. "You look so much like her." His eyes trailed over Ventus' face, his expression twisting into something bitter. "...I can't see any of myself in your face. No matter how much I try."

Ventus felt himself shaking, realising what his father was saying. The walls were closing in, the world crashing down around his ears.

"So, you see, Ventus…" His father muttered, his eyes cold and dead. "I could never be sure – that you were actually my so–"

Ventus ran, everything a blur.

He saw colours and faces and buildings all passing him but nothing was registering beyond that. It was dark and his breaths were coming in short, pained gasps, his heart bursting and pounding, adrenaline throwing him forwards. He didn't know where he was or where he was running to, all he kept thinking – all he kept _hearing_ – was his father's words repeating over and over.

 _I could never be sure… I could never be sure…_

 _That you were actually_ –

A scream gurgled its way up his throat and Ventus fell to his knees, tears streaking down his face.

Was it _really_ true? Was it at all possible that his father was telling him the _truth?_

 _No,_ he thought next, because that was _wrong_. If it _was_ true, then the man he knew as his father, was _never_ his.

He was alone. Well and truly _alone._ But… hadn't it always been that way? Ever since his mother had been taken from him?

Somehow, through the haze of his overwhelming misery, he knew that wasn't quite true.

He didn't want to think about Vanitas, but it was already too late. Thinking of _him_ was like another blow to his already crippled heart.

Ventus moaned, his sightless eyes sliding closed.

 _Why_ had it come to this? He was a good person, wasn't he? What had he done to deserve such pain?

A gentle hand was suddenly pressing against his cheek and Ventus jerked away, shocked back into reality. Slowly, his surroundings started to filter back into his awareness. He was slumped against a wall near a grocery store, nothing around him appearing familiar. There were people walking passed nearby, some of them giving him nervous glances and a wide berth as they rushed to move around him. Ventus vaguely wondered what he looked like, raising a hand to his face to see if he was still crying. He wasn't, but his cheeks were still wet.

"Sir…? Can you stand?"

The quiet voice of someone who did sound familiar suddenly registered in his mind, Ventus only just noticing the person standing motionless in front of him. A delicate hand slipped into one of his and Ventus wordlessly let them pull him to his feet.

It was Xion, one of his students, her blue eyes innocently worried, her face a mixture of concerned and shocked. She was dressed in a simple blue dress, one of her hands holding a single grocery bag. She released his hand but didn't move away, withdrawing a folded tissue from her handbag and offering it to him.

Coming back to himself, Ventus found his voice and reached forwards to take the tissue.

"...Thanks." He wiped his eyes and blew his nose, Xion waiting silently in front of him.

"Are you alright, sir…?"

They both knew he wasn't, but Ventus appreciated the sentiment. He tried to smile but it just wouldn't come to him.

"I'm okay," he told her, and Xion frowned, clearly not believing him.

"Um, okay." She was obviously reluctant in leaving him alone. "...Will you be able to get home on your own?"

Ventus slowly looked around, still not recognising anything except registering that he was in the city somewhere. Who knew how long he'd been running until Xion had found him here. He didn't even know what the time was. He must have stayed silent for so long that Xion felt the need to speak again, her quiet words startling him into focussing.

"I don't know what's happened to have affected you like this, and I don't know how inappropriate it is of me to say this to you, but… if you ever need someone to talk to, I would be happy to listen."

Ventus took a moment to respond, Xion's eyes still locked with his as he processed what she was saying.

"I… appreciate that, really, but…"

Xion shook her head, her smile sad but kind.

"I understand." Her feet shuffling on the pavement, Xion turned and pointed down the street. "The… The subway is that way, if you'd like me to show you?"

Ventus followed her line of sight, already thinking that accepting her help was probably within his best interest.

"That… would actually be really great. Thank you."

"Xion, who is this?" Another voice suddenly interrupted them, Ventus glancing up in time to meet the eyes of a man much older than he. The man's eyes were a startling blue, his short, curly hair all silver and grey. He looked a lot like Xion, Ventus quickly assuming that this was her father.

"Dad, this is Mr. Fujin, my teacher at school." Xion told him, her smile gentle. "Sir, this is my father, Ephemera Maeda."

"Mr. Fujin, a pleasure to meet you," Xion's father said. He held out his hand instead of bowing, which Ventus found surprising. "Please, just call me Ephemera. Calling me by my last name makes me feel like an old man."

"You _are_ an old man," Xion cut in, sticking her tongue out at him. Ventus raised his eyebrows, the surprises still coming. Never had he seen Xion act like this, her quiet, shy demeanour usually the only thing he was witness to while they were at school. Ephemera, for his part, playfully shoved her shoulder.

"Quiet you," he grumbled back, trying to look offended and failing. Ventus wordlessly reached forwards and took Ephemera's hand. He appreciated these kind people helping him, he really did, but above all else, he just wanted to go home. This was a nice distraction, but he was quickly beginning to remember. This was the last thing he wanted to do right now, the smile he'd slapped onto his face already paining him more than words could describe.

"It's great to meet you, too." He said, shaking Ephemera's hand. "You can call me Ventus. Fujin… doesn't really suit me."

Ephemera held his hand and eyed him curiously, Ventus realising a tad too late that what he'd just said wasn't exactly professional. He rushed on.

"X-Xion is an excellent student. One of my best, in fact. You should be very proud." Although he'd forced himself to speak, he'd meant every word and luckily Ephemera could see that. He squeezed Ventus' hand once more before letting go.

"That's kind of you to say." He looked down at Xion as he spoke. "Xion talks about you quite highly. I'm glad to see my daughter is in such good hands."

Ventus nodded but already his social skills were failing him. As if sensing this, Xion cautiously regarded him before tugging on her father's arm. "Dad, Mr. Fujin is lost. I said we'd show him the way to the subway."

"Oh, certainly!" Ephemera said, his kind eyes once again meeting Ventus'. "We'd be happy to show you the way."

"Thank you," Ventus breathed, his tired smile more genuine now. The thought of getting home soon was more than a huge relief. Ephemera once again gave him a strange, questioning look, but it was gone before Ventus really had time to analyse it.

"Follow us," Xion murmured, already turning down the way she had pointed out earlier.

Ventus fell into step with Xion's father, Ephemera striking up a conversation about what he did for a living and other such topics along the same vein which Ventus found himself politely feigning interest in listening to. All too soon they were parting ways, Ephemera proffering his hand again and Xion bowing to him respectfully.

"Be safe on your way home, sir," she said, her expression still a touch worried. Ventus did his best to reassure her.

"I'll be fine, thank you."

"Don't be a stranger, Ven! Take care," Ephemera added, Ventus rapidly blinking at the casual use of his name.

"...Sure." Ventus gave them both one last smile before making his way down the stairs and into the subway. When he reached the bottom, he just happened to look back up, surprised all over again to find Ephemera still standing there watching him, a rather serious expression on his face. Seeing Ventus looking, Ephemera immediately brightened and waved to him, and Ventus awkwardly found himself returning it.

Walking further into the subway and away from the stairs, Ventus couldn't help feeling worried about that last lingering look he'd seen on Xion's father's face. His mind instantly leapt to the possibility of Ephemera jumping to conclusions about his and Xion's relationship being more than that of a student and teacher, and _Gods_ , he hoped that wasn't the case. A scandal at his place of work was the _last_ thing he needed right now. He wondered what Xion was saying about him in her home…

Nearly too exhausted to even function, Ventus managed to find the right train that would take him home and somehow found himself safely back in his apartment some time later. He didn't bother turning on any of the lights which probably wasn't the best decision as he sat motionless on his couch, the silence ringing in his ears. He still didn't know what time it was and found he didn't care either.

Flopping over onto his side, Ventus lifted his legs onto the couch and curled in on himself. His eyelids drooping, the pain in his chest now a dull, throbbing ache, he just managed to set an alarm on his phone for the morning before sleep finally embraced him.

-0-

Ventus awoke with a start, the sensation of sunlight too bright and warm on his face being the first sign that something was out of the norm. For a second he was disorientated, strangely believing he was back in Kyoto, until his eyes caught sight of the plasma TV and everything came rushing back to him.

The sport's carnival, his father's front door, Kairi's fearful expression, his father's eyes dead and cold, himself running, running and sobbing, a gentle hand on his face, Xion's worried smile, her father's strange expression, till finally, he was home, falling asleep curled up on his couch.

Ventus rolled over and groaned, pulling agitated at the knot on his tie that had worked its way into strangling him while he was asleep. It was wound so tight around his neck he was surprised he hadn't had nightmares. Flinging the tie away from him, he scrabbled to reach his phone that was digging into him somewhere in the vicinity of his lower back. Getting ahold of it, he blearily peered at the time. Still half asleep, it took a few moments for the numbers to sink in.

It was nine in the morning. His class had started half an hour ago.

"Damn it!" Ventus threw himself to his feet, his head faintly spinning. He was already beyond freaking out, realising that his alarm had gone off, but he'd accidentally silenced it. Surprisingly enough, there were no missed calls from the school on his phone yet, so maybe… if he got there within the hour, his superiors wouldn't notice. It was a slim chance, but it was there. At least his students were old enough to self-study if need be, as well.

Within minutes he was ready to head out, fingers uselessly combing through his hair, his shirt straightened and his tie back around his neck. He wasn't sure if he smelled bad at all, but he knew there was a spare can of deodorant stashed in his backpack. Once he made it to his class, he could easily excuse himself and go make himself more appropriately presentable in one of the school's bathrooms.

He flung the apartment door open in a rush, only for him to immediately stumble back with a small cry, nearly running straight into the person standing on the other side.

The young woman had her hand poised to knock, her eyes wide and startled. Ventus was stunned too, until he realised who she was, his expression falling instantly.

"You…" he breathed, recognising Vanitas' house servant. He didn't care if he sounded rude, he didn't have the time to deal with her.

Sighing in annoyance, he breezed passed her without saying anything else, already half-running down the hallway. He expected her to call after him but she surprised him again by remaining silent. He didn't turn and look back either. If he wanted to make the next train he couldn't let anything delay him.

Arriving at his school in record speed, Ventus wrenched the sliding door open to his classroom at exactly half past nine. He visibly sagged with relief seeing his class all sitting in their seats, some talking quietly in small groups and some even huddled together with their workbooks open, as if he always made habit of missing the first hour and nothing was out of the ordinary. Upon his rather noisy entrance, everyone in the room turned to look, many of the girl's faces lighting up.

"Sir! You made it!"

"So nice of you to join us, sir!"

There was a chorus of giggles and Ventus saw a lot of cheeky smiles directed his way and couldn't help smiling too, albeit a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, girls. I guess you're all entitled to one sleep-in each now."

Some of the girls actually whooped and cheered as Ventus closed the sliding door behind him and made his way over to his desk. He noticed one of them had even scrawled ' _self-study'_ on the whiteboard, just to complete the effect that his presence wasn't actually being missed. He caught Xion's eye and returned her smile wholeheartedly. Somehow, he just knew she'd helped in all of this. Despite how much of a mess his personal life was right now, just knowing his students had his back was really something to be thankful for.

He only felt the previous day's events catching up to him after first period was over and he'd dismissed the girls for lunch. He sat alone at his desk, slowly working his way through a stack of English drafts, his laptop open in front of him, checking facts and details for each one. Xion had approached him before she'd left to go outside with her friends and had asked if he was doing better today, to which he'd been quick to reassure her again. At least here, within the clockwork routine of his job, he could stop thinking so much for once and just let things follow its course. It was only now, that he finally had some time to himself that his snowballing doubts threatened to engulf him.

His mother… had been a wonderful person. She had been kind and beautiful, happy and warm. Ventus only held wonderful memories of her, so to hear his father speak of her in such a way was beyond shocking. Was it _really_ possible? That his father didn't share his blood? If his mother really had had an affair that had been going on for a number of years, then perhaps… the man he had always known as his father was actually right. Even with a slim chance he was wrong and they actually were related, Ventus could already conclude that his father had made up his mind a long time ago. It certainly did explain a lot. It was around the time his mother had died that his father had suddenly lost all interest in him. Before that, he could still remember how _normal_ his home life had been. His father had wanted to spend time with him like any other father would with their son and had loved him, treasured him even. What his step-sister Kairi was now enjoying, that had once been his. Having the truth all out in the open didn't make it any less painful, though. It certainly was a bitter pill to swallow.

Realising he was reading the same sentence over and over again, Ventus rubbed at his eyes and decided to take a break. He'd held such high hopes… that he and his father would work things out, and now, he never wanted to see him again. He felt nauseous thinking it, but he knew it was what he wanted. There was only so much he could take, and this was finally the last straw. As soon as he got home in the evening he was phoning Terra and arranging his move back to Kyoto. With his plans of reconciling with his father now dead in the water, there was no longer anything keeping him here. He could easily just leave some of his furniture behind or sell it, and only take a couple of suitcases of books and clothes back with him, his main objective now being to get away as quickly as possible.

Between Vanitas and his father, two cold, manipulative men had successfully destroyed what semblance of a peaceful life he'd managed to make for himself, but it was time to gain back some control – time to start making his life right again. In Kyoto, he could take on a part-time job as well as teaching, just to help pay some of what he owed back faster. Anything to lessen his debts would surely help him feel a lot better, and seeing Terra again would help too, and _everything_ would be as it _should_ be.

It was a sensible, well thought out plan, his old life easily within reach, and yet… Why didn't he feel more hopeful about it?

 _He really needs you, ya know?_ He heard Demyx say, remembering the peach in its little box, Vanitas' slender fingers playing over the handle on his mug, the rich colour of his eyes, the curve of his lips, the low sound of his voice –

The classroom door suddenly rattled open and Ventus jumped so hard his body left his chair. It appeared lunch break was over, his class all slowly returning to their seats, chattering and laughing amongst themselves. Ventus angrily told himself to focus, any thoughts of Vanitas banished from his mind. He _refused_ to feel bad about his decision to leave. Vanitas had chosen his path, and he was going to choose _his_.

An hour or so later, his lesson well underway, Ventus was going over English sentencing structures when there was a faint knock on his classroom's door.

"Yes, come in!"

He called loud enough to be heard, but the door remained closed.

Sighing in a tiresome way, Ventus placed the workbook he was holding down on his desk and moved over towards the door to open it.

"Keep working through the drills, girls."

The class all answered him as one and kept working as he pulled the door open.

On the other side stood Vanitas' servant, looking just as much the same as she had this morning outside of his apartment. Ventus took one look at her and promptly threw the door closed again.

"What is it, sir?" One of the girls asked, Ventus warily looking behind himself to find he'd foolishly drawn everyone's attention.

"N-Nothing! Just – carry on with your work. I need to step out for a sec."

They were mostly all giving him odd, confused looks but eventually everyone turned back to their workbooks. Still smiling like he'd finally lost his sanity, Ventus slid the door open just enough to squeeze through before quickly shutting it behind him. He whirled around to face the young woman, his flustered words barely above a whisper.

" _What_ are you _doing_ here? You need to leave, _now_ – before someone sees you!" He glanced up and down the hallway but luckily no one else was around, the school at large still in the midst of classes.

The young woman bowed low, Ventus noticing for the first time she was dressed in a _komon,_ a casual style of _kimono_ and was also holding a traditional Japanese flute. His stomach sunk into his shoes. He had no idea what she was planning, but there was no _way_ he was allowing her to do it _here._

"I'm terribly sorry, Fujin-sama, but Ishi-sama has requested that I be here."

Ventus just stared at her. _Pure_ harassment – that's all this was. He could feel himself becoming desperate.

"Can't this wait till I'm _home?"_ He all but begged. "This is not exactly the greatest place for – whatever you're planning on doing!"

The young woman practically beamed at him, as if Ventus' panic was an overreaction. She lifted the flute in her hand.

"Ishi-sama would like me to play a song for you."

Ventus felt like he was losing his mind. What the _hell_ was Vanitas _thinking?_

"I'm sure it's great, really, but I am _teaching_ a class right now. We are _not_ doing this."

The woman's face fell, her eyes wide and pleading. She bowed again, her blonde hair nearly sweeping the floor.

"Please, Fujin-sama. He told me he will cut off my hands if you refuse."

Ventus' sudden anger only strengthened his resolve. How _dare_ Vanitas try to extort him like this? He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing.

"Somehow, I sorely doubt that. You're the head of his household, aren't you? I'm sure you're more useful to him with your hands still attached."

The woman just stood silently with her head bowed, the expression on her face making Ventus feel like he'd just sentenced her to the gallows. Frowning nervously, Ventus ran a hand through his hair and stumbled over something comforting to say to her.

"You – You tell him, if you lose your hands, I'm going to throw out everything he's ever given me, _and_ move in with my _father._ "

It pained him to speak such a blatant lie, but Vanitas wouldn't know the truth of it. He'd already thrown out everything Vanitas had ever given him… and he'd rather live on the streets than with that cold-hearted man again...

"Please…" The young woman softly insisted, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Ventus had to look away, fighting the wave of guilt that was rising up within him. This entire situation was ridiculous _and_ unfair _._ He really, well and truly hoped that he wasn't going to have something like a person losing their _hands_ resting on his conscience, but he was backed into a corner here. What was he seriously supposed to do? What had _Vanitas_ thought he'd do? Invite her inside to entertain his entire class _as well?_

"I'm sorry… but I have to get back to my class. E-Excuse me."

Turning his back on her, Ventus slid his classroom door back open and stepped inside, just as the young woman decided to take her chance and flung herself through after him.

"Please, I must insist!" She cried out, falling to her hands and knees in the doorway. Ventus couldn't breathe, a chorus of gasps rising up behind him from his students. The entire class had fallen silent, all staring over at the woman kneeling on the floor.

"W-What's… going on?" One of the girls towards the front mumbled more to herself, everyone else clearly speechless.

"Please," the young woman begged him again, her eyes meeting Ventus'. "I must play – you must see –"

"Okay!" Ventus cut in, lifting his hands to silence her. "Just… please stand up." He slid a hand down his face, fearing he might die from the embarrassment. Could this day get any _worse?_ With his entire class drawn into this mess, he couldn't ask her to leave _now_.

Accepting that this was actually happening, like a train crashing into an embankment in slow motion, Ventus stalked his way back over to the door and slid it closed, the young woman now standing quietly in the corner of the classroom. Her expression was completely free of any worry or stress now, her small, calm smile lighting up her face. Ventus wanted to say he was surprised to find her so at ease, but in truth, he really wasn't. He was finding it hard to believe she'd been forced into doing this, especially now that he was successfully stuck here. He couldn't leave his classroom, nor could he stop her from being here without drawing more attention, and his students bearing witness, were being held over him like leverage.

"Class, uh…" Standing beside the woman awkwardly, Ventus glanced over at her, realising for the first time that he didn't know her name.

"Namine." She supplied, offering a short bow to the class.

Ventus cleared his throat, more uncomfortable by the second. He couldn't believe he was agreeing to this...

"Yes, _Namine_ is… a travelling musician. And it… it seems she must play a song for me. Right… at this _very_ moment."

Ventus seriously wanted to disappear. He wished he'd just stayed at home this morning instead of doing the _right_ thing and rushing to be here. Maybe things would have been different if he'd just stopped to listen to her when he'd found her outside of his apartment, but that was _really_ beside the point. If he _ever_ saw Vanitas again he was going to _fricken kill him._

"Oh, cool!" One of the girls suddenly exclaimed. "Is it one of those 'singing telegrams'? Like what you get from your crush?"

"Er, s-something like that." Ventus answered in somewhat of a daze. His face felt hot and he was starting to feel lightheaded. He needed to sit down.

There followed a murmur of excited voices as the other girls all brightened and whispered amongst each other.

"How romantic!"

"Let her play, sir!"

"Yeah, sir, let her play!"

Ventus couldn't look at any of them as he stumbled over towards his desk and heavily leaned against it. Wearily, he gave Namine a nod.

Namine smiled, her eyes crinkling closed. "I shall begin then."

The class all fell silent as she settled herself in a seated position on the floor, tucking her legs underneath herself and neatly folding the layers of her _komon_ around her. Ventus crossed his arms and silently prayed for a fire to break out somewhere in building – _anything_ to stop this from continuing would be a miracle in itself. He looked over at his class, seeing them all starry-eyed and expectant. At least… they weren't bothered by this, quite the contrary if their expressions were anything to go by.

Namine closed her eyes and raised the flute to her lips. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

The first notes trembled out into the silence and Ventus recognised the song instantly. It was old, but still one of his favourites. He and Vanitas had both loved it, back when they were still teenagers. The beautiful music flowed over and through him, filling his mind, pulling at his heart. Namine was playing her own take of it, but the song's effect on Ventus was still very much the same.

He remembered whenever he and Vanitas happened to be out and this song played in the shopping mall, or at the grocery store, Vanitas would _always_ kiss him – no matter who was around to see. A little old lady had once dropped a whole carton of eggs at their feet, her withered hands clutching at her chest as she gawked at them in shock. Ventus had actually felt pretty bad for that, but Vanitas hadn't in the slightest. He'd grabbed Ventus' hand, along with their basket of unpaid groceries and run from the store, grinning and laughing, all confidence as usual, an excited light shining in his eyes. Ventus knew it had always been like that; Vanitas lived his life to the fullest, and Ventus had always wanted that for himself too.

Ventus didn't even notice his eyes had fallen closed until Namine finally finished playing. He rapidly blinked his eyes open as if waking from a dream, just as Namine stood from her place and bowed, the class all enthusiastically applauding her. Ventus reluctantly joined in, feeling like someone was sitting on his chest.

"That was the sweetest!" One of the girls spoke up, many of the others around her all softly agreeing with her.

Smiling in a contented way, Namine approached Ventus without a word and offered him a folded note. Frowning down at it, Ventus begrudgingly took it from her, flicking it open. The entire class was watching again, one of them eagerly whispering, "What does it say?" as they all waited to hear Ventus' answer.

The note was unsigned, but Ventus easily recognised Vanitas' handwriting.

 _Ventus,_

 _Please join me for dinner on Friday night?_

 _If you accept this last request, I give you my word that I will respect your decision._

Ventus read the note over three times before the words actually started sinking in. It seemed to end so abruptly that Ventus found himself turning the note over to see if anything was written on the back.

 _He… wants me to go out to dinner with him._

The class suddenly erupted and Ventus jerked his head up, shocked. He hadn't realised he'd spoken out loud.

"Sir, you should say yes!"

"Say yes, sir!"

The class were all obviously overjoyed for him, but Ventus still didn't feel sure. When you were only 17, things like this were beyond romantic and endearing, but Ventus was not convinced. As harmless as dinner sounded, he knew anything involving Vanitas would never be that simple.

Namine suddenly bowed her head to him, the class still mostly over-excited.

"Ishi-sama has asked me to pass your answer on to him immediately."

"Wait – _Ishi-sama?_ " One of the girls towards the front suddenly questioned, having caught Namine's words over the noise.

The class eerily fell silent, some of the girls looking uneasy.

"As in… _the_ Ishi-sama?" Another girl murmured, her eyes wide with fright. " _Vanitas Ishi?"_

Everyone in the room was now staring at him, some with fear and some in wonderment, and Ventus didn't have the nerve to look at any of them. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words just wouldn't come to him.

" _Whoa…"_ Another one of the girls breathed. "The Ishi-kai boss is asking _you_ out to _dinner?_ Isn't he… really scary? _"_

"The Ishi-kai war… Who could forget _that?"_ Someone else spoke up, everyone beginning to speak at once.

"I heard he once cut off a waiter's ear off because he got his order wrong!"

"Well, I heard you can trace his lineage back to the Tengus!" One of the girls, Selphie, added. "He's actually a demon in _human skin!_ That's why they call him the _Ishi-oni…_ "

One of the other girls wrinkled her nose. "Doesn't he have a thing for… _disemboweling?"_

As if a spotlight had suddenly lit up above him, Ventus found everyone's eyes once again on him.

"...What are you going to do, sir?"

Ventus sighed heavily, making the mistake of meeting Namine's eyes. She looked as serious as he felt, her blue eyes clear, though, waiting for his answer just as much as everyone else in the room. He honestly didn't know how he wanted to answer, the pressure of being put on the spot like this steadily mounting. He _could_ easily refuse. If everything went as planned, he'd be back in Kyoto by the end of the month.

"But… I heard he… opened several orphanages in the Tohoku region…"

Ventus sharply looked to the right, catching Xion's gaze. Everyone was now looking at her, mostly surprised. She didn't usually like speaking in front of the entire class. Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"...and he's set up numerous rehabilitation programs for prostitutes in the brothels he owns down in Yoshiwara. No other yakuza have ever done that. He also sends their children to school."

"Yeah, actually… I think I read that somewhere, too!" Xion's friend, Olette added, the girls seated around them all looking thoughtful.

Ventus himself was surprised too. He'd only ever heard bad things about the yakuza, _especially_ where Vanitas was involved. Any member of a criminal organisation actually being a decent human being was definitely news to him.

"I heard he also shut down an underground puppy factory over in Chiba in a single night!" Olette told them, her expression suddenly turning sheepish. "Well… he also had everyone operating it killed, but think of the puppies!"

"What about the floods last year?" Selphie joined in, taking center stage again. "The Ishi-kai were more organised than the government! They helped rescue people that were stranded, _and_ handed out food and supplies to those affected!"

Xion turned back to Ventus, her eyes hopeful. "Sir, you should give him a chance. Maybe… he's not that bad after all."

Olette beside her nodded. "He's got a reputation, but he obviously likes you a lot! If you got to know him, it might be worth it?"

Ventus could see they were both still questioning what they were encouraging him to do, but of course they would when they didn't know the whole story. This wasn't some paperback romance. He could see most of the class were all looking blatantly curious and interested as well. Obviously it wasn't every day you had an infamous yakuza boss poetically asking your school teacher out to dinner.

"Do you accept the invitation?" Namine asked him again, still waiting patiently beside him, and Ventus looked away from her, seriously thinking it over.

Maybe… there was more to this? Ever since their reunion he had thought of Vanitas as inherently rotten to his core, but after hearing what the girls had said about him, was it really possible his organisation did more good than bad? Had he been blindsided, painting Vanitas as a villain? At the very least, it was just _one_ dinner, and then he could leave for Kyoto without any regrets.

Still slightly uncertain, but his mind made up, Ventus gave Namine a small nod.

"O… Okay."

The class cheered loudly, the girls barely containing their excitement. Ventus internally groaned. Never in his right mind, had he expected this to happen. Was he really sure… he was doing the right thing? He just wished he wasn't so confused...

Smiling gently, Namine bowed to him and left, seeing herself out without a fuss. Watching her go, Ventus turned back to his class and raised his hands, motioning for the girls to quiet down.

"Please… keep this to yourselves, girls. I don't want anyone else involved."

Selphie grinned, thumping her chest.

"You can count on us, sir! We'll keep your forbidden romance a secret!"

They all nodded while Ventus sighed and closed his eyes, his stomach already flipping with nerves.

Just, what had he agreed to…? Even if it was simply dinner, he couldn't see it ending well.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** **:** First off, I'm incredibly sorry for the wait. The end of this year has been mental. I hope this chapter makes up for the time. Get ready for some angsty romance!

* * *

 **Chapter Three.**

Ventus stood outside of his apartment building, nervously fiddling with the bottom of his button down shirt. After at least four wardrobe changes, he'd settled on something casual: a simple pair of denim jeans, his stone-grey shirt untucked, plain black sneakers on his feet. He looked down at his sneakers for the hundredth time, annoyed all over again about how daggy they were, all scuffed and worn, but they were familiar and comfortable and Ventus liked to think they were somehow keeping him more grounded than just simply being appropriate footwear. He had no idea of where Vanitas planned on taking him, but he really hoped he wasn't underdressed. He wasn't the type for _fancy_ dinners anyway, so really, if Vanitas had a place like that in mind, Ventus wasn't exactly going to like it.

Ever since agreeing to doing this on Wednesday, he surprisingly hadn't heard anything more from Vanitas. He'd expected a text message, possibly a jab at him for giving in, or something along those lines, but Vanitas had stayed confusingly silent. Friday morning, a message finally blinked onto the screen of his phone. Vanitas would send a car to pick him up that would take him to the place where they would meet. He'd given Ventus a time, but that was all, the message short and quick to the point. Ventus had replied a simple 'okay' and wondered if Vanitas was being overly cautious with him, just in case he happened to change his mind. Ventus wouldn't be lying if he admitted he'd thought about it, but the promise of Vanitas respecting his wishes and finally leaving him alone for good was too great an opportunity to pass up. Maybe, Vanitas had been right in accusing Ventus of overcomplicating things. It was just _dinner_ at the end of the day. They would talk over food, have a few drinks, and then Ventus would be going home for the evening, his weekend already crammed full of plans to start organising his move back to Kyoto. He still hadn't called Terra about it, (and he wondered about that), but he reasoned he had time. He had to give notice at work anyway, so there wasn't much of a push to rush these things…

A sleek, black car suddenly pulled into the parking space in front of him, and Ventus automatically stood a little straighter. He schooled his features into something more neutral, trying to calm his nervous energy as the driver in a black suit wordlessly left his seat and moved around the vehicle to hold the rear door open for him. He bowed to Ventus but said nothing, waiting patiently for him to climb inside.

"Ah, thanks." Ventus murmured, bracing one hand along the door as he ducked his head and slid into the rear seat. He couldn't help jumping slightly as he settled, Vanitas unexpectedly seated across from him. Vanitas sat off to the far side, his eyes instantly fixing Ventus in place. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't necessarily look unhappy. Ventus quickly noted that Vanitas was also dressed quite casually in black fitted jeans and a plain black v-neck sweater. He had the sleeves pushed halfway up his forearms again, Ventus' eyes flickering over the splashes of red, black and yellow colouring his pale skin.

"Ventus." Vanitas greeted him, inclining his head in his direction.

Ventus busied himself with clicking his seatbelt in place, choosing to sit in the seat diagonally across from Vanitas, right next to the door he'd entered through. He inclined his head as well, his stomach still rolling with nerves.

"Vanitas."

He wasn't in full panic mode, but the feeling was definitely there. He had been so sure Vanitas had specified he'd be only sending a car to pick him up, not actually _be in it, too._ He didn't know what to say, unprepared for them being face to face much sooner than he'd expected.

As if sensing his discomfort, or probably just reading it on his face, Vanitas suddenly smiled. He leaned forwards just enough, offering him a glass that Ventus hadn't even noticed him holding. Without a word, Ventus took it, looking down into the rich, golden colour of straight whiskey on the rocks. Uncaring of what Vanitas thought, he wasted no time in raising the glass to his lips. It burned a warm, pleasant feeling down his throat and settled low in his stomach and Ventus already felt it helping to relax him.

Vanitas was still smiling, just silently watching him. The fingers of one hand idly played along the edge of his own glass.

"I didn't think you'd actually say yes."

Ventus glanced over at Vanitas before quickly looking away again. He took a deep breath before pushing himself to answer.

"Neither did I…" He managed after a short silence. He tried giving Vanitas a smile too, even if it felt strained. "But I liked that girl's hands still attached to her, so I thought I'd better."

Vanitas laughed softly, staring down into his glass. "Excuses," he breathed, the ice in his drink clinking quietly. "Namine's such a drama queen sometimes."

Ventus wondered if there was more to that, but he decided not to comment. He cleared his throat.

"So, where are we going anyway?"

Vanitas outright smirked at him, his expression more than a little smug as he raised his glass to his lips.

"You'll see."

They lapsed into silence after that and Ventus looked out of the window as they wound their way through the crowded, busy streets of Tokyo City. They were amongst the thick of it soon enough and he wondered all over again where exactly Vanitas was taking him. He imagined them arriving at some sort of upper-class establishment, where the manager and all of the waitstaff would probably grovel at Vanitas' feet. Thinking along those lines, he didn't really manage a great job at hiding his surprise when the road signs flashing passed indicated they were entering Haneda Airport.

"Um…" Ventus trailed off uselessly, his confusion only increasing as they drove further into the airport, but away from the main terminal. They entered what looked to be an adjacent industrial area and Ventus threw back the rest of his drink, his imagination promptly sending his thoughts into overdrive. He looked over at Vanitas but Vanitas wasn't looking at him, his expression almost _too_ blank to be natural, as if he was trying not to give anything away.

Vanitas was looking out the window and Ventus followed his line of sight, just as they drove straight through a large hangar and out onto what looked to be a tarmac. There on the tarmac, assumingly waiting for _them_ was a rather large jet, easily over 60 feet in length. Ventus drew in a sharp breath as his fears were all but confirmed, spying Namine standing by a set of stairs that lead up into the jet's cabin. The car rolled to a gentle stop directly in front of her, and Ventus just stared in stunned silence as the driver walked around to open the door for him again. Namine smiled in at him pleasantly, her hands clasped in front of her.

"You can't be serious…" Ventus mumbled, already at a loss for words. Still in a daze, he stepped out of the car and looked over the body of the jet, over its large wings and what he could make out of its turbines. This was, to put it simply, _unbelievable_. He didn't even notice Vanitas leaving the car as well and now standing close beside him.

"Don't worry, I packed you an overnight bag, too." Vanitas said, now looking especially proud of himself. He lightly bumped Ventus' shoulder with his own. "I'm thoughtful like that."

Ventus turned on him, his shock giving way to his panic.

"I didn't agree to this." He eyed the open doorway to the jet's cabin anxiously, but they were too low on the ground to see inside. The driver of the car suddenly moved passed them, wheeling two identical suitcases. He lifted them with ease and hauled them up the stairs, disappearing into the cabin.

Vanitas, still beside him, didn't look worried at all, as if he'd expected Ventus to react like this.

"You agreed to have dinner with me, but you never specified it had to be in the country."

Ventus _knew_ he wasn't being unreasonable. There was _no way_ he was just going to go along with this – he'd never even been on a plane his entire _life!_

"I-I have school work to get through tomorrow! And what about –!"

Vanitas waved his hand, quick to cut him off.

"I've already taken care of all that. Relax, it'll be fine." He gave Ventus a cheery grin and Ventus only glared. "I'll have you back by Sunday evening."

Ventus spluttered, his eyes flying wide. "W-What!? _Two days?"_

Vanitas just rolled his eyes. "Well, _obviously_ , Ventus. It takes time to fly anywhere worth going to." He sighed heavily when Ventus went to keep arguing and firmly grabbed him by the shoulders. Ventus stiffened at the sudden touch but allowed it, still trying to decide what to do, but Vanitas wasn't going to wait for him to really think about it. Without further ado, he began steering Ventus towards the stairs. Namine, who still stood off to the side watching them, only hid a smile behind her hand and said nothing.

Half resigned to his fate, Ventus let Vanitas all but push him up the stairs. It didn't help that Vanitas' fingers burning through the thin fabric of his shirt were more than a little distracting.

"I can't believe this is happening…"

Vanitas removed his hands from Ventus' shoulders just as they reached the doorway to the cabin.

"Exciting, right?" He grinned, completely disregarding the sour look Ventus shot at him.

Ventus went to say something particularly biting in response when he happened to catch sight of his new surroundings. He stood still, completely in awe. Directly in front of him was a small kitchenette, complete with a sink, an overstocked bar and mini-refrigerator. To his left was a slim door obviously leading towards the cockpit, and to his right were two plush, cream leather chairs, one on either side of the aisle. Beyond that he could see what looked to be a curved, cream lounge and a small coffee table in front of it with a large television opposite. There was another wall at the end only leading him to believe that there was more to the jet's interior that he couldn't even see from here. It was all quite simply amazing.

"Would you… like a tour before we take off?"

Ventus blinked, his eyes meeting Vanitas'. "...Sure."

Seemingly within his element now, Vanitas lead him through the cabin, showing him what the mini bar had on offer, where the shower and toilet were located, and then the large single bedroom located beyond that in the tail of the jet. Ventus still felt nervous, but at least Vanitas was trying to make an effort in helping him feel more comfortable. Unsure of what to do with himself, Ventus sat where he was directed to, falling into one of the plush seats more towards the front. He watched Namine enter the cabin as well, pulling the cabin's door closed behind her. She interlocked the door's seal, effectively readying them for departure before disappearing into the jet's cockpit. Vanitas sat and buckled himself into the seat beside him and Ventus couldn't remember ever seeing him so relaxed. Despite this all being nothing like he was expecting, he couldn't help feeling a little excited too.

"So… where are we actually going? I seriously want to know." Ventus questioned, hurrying to secure his seat belt around his waist as well.

Vanitas didn't even blink. "To the moon and back."

Ventus couldn't hide his surprise. He didn't think to question it. "Really!? I mean, can this really get us there?"

Vanitas snorted and burst out laughing, giving Ventus an incredulous look.

"Holy shit, who knew you were still so gullible."

"S-Shut up! I'm trusting." Ventus grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away.

"You trust me?"

Ventus froze, his shoulders going rigid. Slowly, he turned back to Vanitas. The awkwardness between them steadily crept back in. Vanitas was watching him carefully, suddenly serious, his expression far too open. Ventus opened his mouth, unsure of what he was going to say, but Vanitas beat him to it.

"Don't answer that."

Ventus snapped his mouth shut again as Vanitas looked away, busying himself with pressing a small button on his seat's armrest.

"Ready when you are." Vanitas said, speaking into the intercom that was located there.

The voice of someone who Ventus could only assume was the pilot answered, crackling quietly through the PA system, and the sounds of the jet's engines roaring into life began shortly after. Sitting back in his seat, Ventus focussed on taking even breaths and let his eyes drift closed. It wasn't that he was afraid of flying, it was more to do with the fact he never had before. He was curious, but also nervous to see how he'd find it.

As they taxied towards the runway, the jet then slowly gaining speed, Ventus made a quick discovery that he absolutely _loved_ it. The sensation of the jet throwing itself at such a speed, high into the air was exhilarating, the sounds of the engines propelling them forwards almost deafening. The rush of leaving the ground far behind them promptly took Ventus' breath away. They eventually reached altitude and the jet stabilised, continuing their trajectory forwards at a smooth, even pace. Vanitas was the first one to click off his belt and stand up. He moved over towards the kitchenette, retrieving two glasses from a cabinet above him and pouring a generous amount of whiskey into each. Dropping ice into both, Vanitas turned and handed one to Ventus.

"You wanna watch a movie?"

Caught off guard by such a simple question, Ventus hurried to answer. "I– yeah. We can do that."

Vanitas smirked, but there was no heat in it as he walked passed, heading towards the lounge area. Ventus followed, taking a small mouthful of his drink, while Vanitas pressed a button on a remote and the TV against the opposite wall promptly blinked to life. He thrust the remote at Ventus, Ventus raising his eyebrows in silent question as he stared down at it.

"You can choose."

Ventus took the remote, being careful to make sure their fingers didn't brush and started flicking through the movie titles. He didn't really care what they watched, but something to fill in any silences between them would work great. Vanitas sat down on the lounge and removed his shoes, one of his arms already thrown over the back of the headrest. Ventus picked an action movie, a classic he was sure they'd both seen at some point and took a seat, too. If Vanitas noticed how far away he sat from him he didn't comment on it. Ventus set his drink aside in a nearby holder and tried to make himself comfortable. He didn't remove his shoes.

"Well… this isn't really what I was expecting." He admitted aloud, Vanitas turning just slightly to look at him.

"This is all for show," Vanitas answered, waving his hand at the grandeur around them. "Next time I'll take you to McDonalds."

Ventus went still, but said nothing. Vanitas even implying that there would be a next time for them was beyond confident to say the least. He felt his mood drop almost immediately, purposely busying himself with downing more of his drink.

"I... don't go out in Tokyo very much. Unless it's on business. I can't relax at all." Vanitas told him, Ventus easily noticing a slight vulnerability to his words. He glanced over and met Vanitas' eyes, a part of him wishing he hadn't. Vanitas smiled, and it was small and hesitant.

"Sometimes Japan gets too… stifling."

Ventus frowned and glanced away, fixing his attention on the TV instead. He cleared his throat. "I guess… I can understand that." Not from a personal perspective, obviously, but he could easily imagine how… _intense_ it would be, being the leader of such a high-profile yakuza clan. Would you ever feel safe out in public again, with so many of your enemies all plotting against you and wanting you dead?

Ventus swallowed, wishing he could ask but he suddenly didn't feel like knowing anymore. He wanted to ask so many questions, but where was he supposed to begin? Here was a man beside him who had threatened to kill his father, who _had_ killed others in cold blood, and yet, had held him so gently… and looked at him, like he was the _only_ person that mattered…

Ventus sighed heavily, his entire body sagging against the lounge. He felt defeated. How could Vanitas say this didn't _have_ to be complicated? As far as he was concerned, it was nothing _but_ complicated. Still watching the movie, he could just see Vanitas looking at him again from the corner of his eye, but he steadfastly chose to ignore it.

"How is your father doing?"

Ventus' eyes flicked back over to Vanitas, a plethora of emotions sweeping across his face. The instant bitterness that stabbed at him left him breathless, the hurt and shame quick to follow. Vanitas' eyes narrowed slightly, watching his reaction with intense scrutiny.

"Ah, he's fine." Ventus finally mumbled, cradling his drink in his lap. He couldn't even pretend to drink from it and hide his face. It was already empty and he already felt it's effects coming on way too strong.

Vanitas snorted. "I'm sure he is. At your expense."

Ventus immediately felt himself going on the defensive, even if he didn't exactly understand why. It wasn't like… he thought much of his 'father' anymore. It still hurt far too much to even think about him.

"Drop it." He snapped. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oho…" Vanitas breathed, his interest piqued. "What, finally clued in to him being a horrible person?"

With the alcohol in his system clouding his judgement, the words were out of his mouth before he even paused to consider them.

"Well, you would know all about being a horrible person, wouldn't you?"

Ventus choked, not even a second after he'd realised what he'd just said. His eyes snapped to Vanitas, a half-formed apology on his lips. For some reason, Vanitas really brought the fight out of him, but if things were to become physical between them, what the hell was he supposed to do, stuck in a metal tube, 50,000 feet above sea level?

Vanitas threw back his head and _laughed,_ and Ventus just stared at him, mouth slightly open. Still stunned, he didn't even react when Vanitas leaned forwards and plucked the empty glass out of his hand.

" _And_ that's enough whiskey for you. Who knew you'd _still_ be an angry drunk. I thought you would've grown out of it by now."

Ventus scowled, crossing his arms. "M' not drunk!"

"But you are tipsy." Vanitas murmured, hooking a finger underneath Ventus' chin to get a closer look at his face. "Your eyes are glassy already." They looked at each other, Ventus holding Vanitas' gaze defiantly, even as he felt another small wave of dizziness wash over him. He admittedly didn't drink very often, alcohol not always bringing out the best in him; this situation a prime example.

"Maybe a little…" Ventus muttered, pulling free of Vanitas' grasp. He didn't immediately move away, though, suddenly all too aware of how close he and Vanitas were to each other. He could clearly make out the different speckles of gold and hazel that coloured Vanitas' eyes, could feel Vanitas' breath lightly ghost across his lips. His heart was pounding, his arms tightening further across his chest.

 _Was he leaning in… or was Vanitas…?_

"I… Water would be good!" Ventus shot to his feet, his head faintly spinning with the sudden movement (and possibly the whiskey), as he made to escape towards the kitchenette. He didn't get far before a firm hand was closing around his wrist, keeping him in place. Ventus didn't want to look at him, but after a beat of silence, he felt compelled to.

Vanitas was looking up at him, his expression torn. He looked conflicted and a little bit irritated and Ventus readied himself for a fight.

A door opening behind Ventus suddenly caught both of their attention, Namine stepping out of the cockpit and into the cabin. Ventus turned more fully towards her and Vanitas' hand dropped from his wrist.

"Good evening, Ishi-sama, Fujin-sama. I thought you might like to know that we are currently ahead of schedule, our new arrival time being nine, tomorrow morning." She smiled and bowed to them both, Ventus idly noticing that her komon this evening was a simple rich blue. "I'll be serving dinner shortly. Can I get you anything to drink while you wait?"

Ventus realised she was talking to him directly just a second too late. She gave him an expectant look.

"Um, yes! Just water, thanks."

Namine nodded her understanding and started pouring him a glass straight away. Ventus, standing in the aisle and not sure what to do with himself now that Namine was here tending to them, tentatively sat back down. Vanitas wasn't looking at him anymore, slouching in his seat on the opposite end of the lounge, one of his hands propped under his chin against the armrest. He looked a little like a sulking child and Ventus didn't know whether to feel amused or guilty. It had happened so fast… but in that moment, he was sure they'd been about to –

A rather loud explosion from the movie drew his attention and Ventus tried to focus on what was happening, even if he'd already missed the entire beginning. He almost suggested they should start it again, but swiftly decided that wasn't necessary. He assumed after their dinner was over, he'd be free to excuse himself and get some sleep. Already the whiskey's hold over him was coming to an end, leaving a sluggish, weary haze in its wake.

Namine came into view and quietly placed his iced water down on the table in front of him. Walking passed him, she pointedly gave Vanitas a look as she all but shoved another glass of iced water into his free hand, Ventus not missing the way Vanitas rolled his eyes.

They sat in an uneasy silence that felt more like a truce than outright uncomfortable. Namine bustled back and forth between them and the kitchenette, setting out small plates, chopsticks, napkins and individual serving bowls of pickles, ginger and dipping sauces.

Ventus eyed her critically when he was sure she couldn't see. For some reason, unbeknownst to him, she was obviously enjoying this.

She placed a rather large platter down in front of them, in the center of the table, and Ventus looked it over. There were sushi rolls of various sizes and fillings, salmon and tuna sashimi, nigiri with prawns, fish and scallops, and even a few little pillows of inari. It was simple, yet beautiful. Ventus suddenly felt quite hungry.

"Thanks." Vanitas said to Namine. "I'll call you when we've finished."

Namine bowed, her small smile all too knowing. "Of course. I will take my leave."

She disappeared back inside the cockpit and Ventus was alone with Vanitas once more. Vanitas slid across the lounge, closer to the table. He grabbed his pair of chopsticks, already helping himself to some of the nigiri. Ventus moved closer as well, following Vanitas' lead. He nearly made a quip about this constituting as their 'dinner', but decidedly chose to stay silent. He couldn't help being reminded that it was only Friday evening and they were only due back in Japan on Sunday. The very thought of it was nerve-wracking, that they would be spending so much time together between then and now.

Stifling a sigh, he pressed his hands together and gave thanks before reaching for his plate and chopsticks. Noticing Vanitas hadn't done the same, just like he'd failed to do on their previous night together, Ventus became curious.

"How come you never give thanks?"

If Vanitas was surprised by the question he didn't show it. He shrugged, glancing at Ventus as he continued eating.

"Who am I supposed to be thanking? No benevolent, higher power provided this for us, unless you want to think of Namine like that."

Ventus frowned, pausing in placing a few tuna rolls on his plate. "It's tradition. I thought that's what you were all about." He didn't need to mention he was referring to the Ishi-kai's so-called old fashioned values. The inclination was there.

"Within reason." Vanitas answered him. "Upholding tradition doesn't mean you should necessarily chain yourself to the past. Just because it's what's always been done, doesn't mean it's always right."

Ventus raised his eyebrows. "That was… pretty profound."

Vanitas sniffed. He gave Ventus a cocky smirk. "I embody 'profound'."

"Ha!" Ventus barked, practically inhaling one of the rolls on his plate in his hurry to answer. "Says the guy who used to throw rocks at cars."

"Pretty sure that was all you." Vanitas countered, even as he couldn't hide his shit-eating grin while Ventus figuratively flailed beside him.

" _Me!?_ " Ventus managed to choke out, coughing a few times for good measure. "I never liked doing it! _Especially_ after you knocked that man off his bike!"

Vanitas rolled his eyes, finishing his mouthful before replying. "Please. You know he had it coming." He waved his hand at Ventus, incredulous. "He used to throw his takeaway coffee cup into the river _every_ morning! He was a piece of trash."

Ventus made a face but quietly admitted defeat. "Well… I suppose that is true. But _still_."

"No, 'but still'. He deserved it." Vanitas leaned forward again and plucked one of the smaller rolls off the platter. He held it up to Ventus, nearly poking his cheek with it.

"You should try this one. I know you'll like it."

"Oh?"

Without thinking, Ventus opened his mouth and took it. No sooner had he closed his mouth did he realise what he'd just done. A slow grin spread across Vanitas' face, quietly triumphant, and Ventus glowered at him, disliking the reminder. He'd never liked Vanitas trying to feed him, but if he was distracted enough, Vanitas had usually gotten away with it.

"Not funny." Ventus mumbled around his food, chewing furiously.

"It's good though, isn't it?" Vanitas insisted, watching him eat and still grinning.

Ventus stubbornly said nothing, which only made Vanitas laugh.

The roll _was_ good, but that wasn't what Ventus was annoyed about. Mostly, he was annoyed at himself. Laughing and bantering like this easily made him forget how much time they'd spent apart. How much everything had _changed_. It was almost cruel how easy it was for him to be comfortable with Vanitas like this, considering all of the drama and heartache that still lay heavy between them.

Vanitas had turned his attention back to the food and to the movie, and it was only then that Ventus realised just how close together they were sitting. There couldn't be more than two inches between them, Vanitas occasionally shifting and accidently rubbing their arms together whenever he leaned forwards to reach the platter. Ventus swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep eating and at least _look_ like he was paying attention to the movie when he really, _really_ wasn't. He couldn't help thinking that this was the closest they had been physically since their night together, and he was almost convinced he could even _feel_ Vanitas' warmth soaking through into his skin. The lounge was certainly big enough, but he found himself unable to move away. He… didn't want to. Whenever Vanitas leaned back he half expected him to wrap an arm around his shoulders, but as they finished eating and it never happened, Ventus wondered if he was even a little disappointed.

The platter now empty, save for a few of the larger rolls, Vanitas stood to refill their glasses of water with soda and lime. When he sat down beside Ventus again, he fell into the exact same position he'd been in before, distractingly close, his arm thrown over the back of the headrest. Ventus couldn't even be sure if he was doing it on purpose, Vanitas' attention automatically drawn back to the movie which was finally reaching it's climax.

Ventus was just considering retreating to the bathroom to give himself a decent excuse at putting some distance between them when Vanitas lazily popped the cap on a small plastic bottle he'd grabbed out of the compartment that was underneath his armrest. He shook two little pillows of gum straight into his mouth before closing the bottle and returning it to the side-table beside him. Ventus slid his fingers through the condensation on his glass, studiously avoiding looking at Vanitas' lips as he chewed.

"Can I have one?"

Vanitas glanced at him, his eyebrows raised. "It's… actually nicotine gum. Tastes disgusting to be perfectly honest with you."

Ventus frowned, perplexed. "You... can smoke. If you want?"

Vanitas stopped chewing. "You don't mind?"

Ventus shook his head, offering Vanitas a crooked smile. "When I… first moved to Kyoto I took it up. All of the teachers at the school I did my training at smoked, and I didn't want to be a loner at lunch."

He'd never admit it, but smoking daily had been a hard habit to break. He had initially taken it up to fit in, but there had also been a part of him that used it like an emotional crutch. Smoking reminded him of Vanitas, and both _him_ and smoking were habits that were equally toxic. At least, that's what he'd told himself back then.

"Thanks." Vanitas said, returning his smile, and Ventus quickly looked back at the movie. He shrugged sharply.

"N-No problem."

Beside him, Vanitas wasted no time in swallowing his gum before digging out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one. He inhaled and then sighed heavily, blowing his smoke out towards the ceiling where the jet's air-conditioning system filtered it out of the cabin. Ventus watched him, amused at how relieved Vanitas looked. Even if it hadn't been necessary, he appreciated Vanitas abstaining for him. Vanitas caught him looking and smiled at him around his cigarette, his lips curving attractively.

"Would you like one?" He murmured, Ventus still watching him, small wisps of smoke escaping from between his parted lips.

"I… better not." Ventus answered, unconsciously licking his lips as he considered it. Vanitas tracked the movement, something in his expression changing. He leaned forwards just enough, Ventus reflexively holding his breath.

"...Wouldn't want you getting hooked again..." Vanitas said, and Ventus wondered if he was meaning something else.

 _Hooked_ was an understatement, _addicted_ more like.

Still maintaining their eye contact, Vanitas lazily raised a hand to his lips and removed the cigarette. He slowly breathed out again, white smoke curling high into the air. Ventus forced himself to look away, all too aware of how the atmosphere between them suddenly felt charged.

"I, uh… Sorry. I need the bathroom." Avoiding looking anywhere near Vanitas, he clumsily stood and quickly made his way through into the bathroom. He didn't even drop the lid on the toilet before he was slumping down on top of it, his face falling into his hands.

" _Get it together…"_ He whispered against his palms, his face warm at the thought of the heat in Vanitas' eyes, the sharp confidence to his smile. It was obvious Vanitas still wanted him, with an intensity that left him speechless, but Ventus couldn't give in. He _wouldn't_. Just because things seemed easy and comfortable between them right now, didn't magically change the reality that whatever this was, wasn't meant to last.

Getting himself more under control, Ventus pulled himself to his feet and splashed a little water onto his face. He stared himself down in the mirror, taking strength from the conviction he found in his eyes. By all means, he wasn't going to mess this up, not when he'd been given such a golden opportunity. He would just have to set Vanitas straight sometime before this 'dinner' trip was over, and then maybe, they could parts ways on better terms and leave it at that. Maybe then... Vanitas could finally move on, too.

Without a word, Ventus returned to his seat and focussed on watching the movie. He'd lost his will to keep any kind of conversation going, silently relieved to see the movie was nearly finished anyway. Vanitas didn't speak either as he leaned forwards to stub out what was left of his cigarette before lifting his legs to rest them on the table.

The movie finally came to an end roughly five minutes later and Vanitas removed his legs from the table, drawing Ventus' attention. "We should get some sleep soon. We'll be there in 14 hours."

"That seems like a lot." Ventus frowned, wondering again where exactly they were going to. Since he'd already asked twice, he felt like it was pointless to ask again.

Vanitas smiled at him, but there was tension there and Ventus could see it.

"It won't be. It'll pass really quickly while you're asleep."

Vanitas stood and gestured over towards a closet that Ventus hadn't noticed there before. It was on the left, against the doorway leading towards the bathroom. "You'll find everything you need in there. I'll have… Namine prepare a bed for you."

"Thanks." Ventus murmured, also pushing himself to stand. Getting some proper sleep actually sounded really good. It was also a huge relief that Vanitas wasn't going to insist that they sleep in the same bed together. Ventus looked at the lounge and then over towards the two leather chairs. He assumed one of these must convert down into a bed.

"Ventus."

Ventus hurriedly turned back to facing Vanitas who was now standing in the doorway leading into the bathroom, and ultimately on to his private bedroom. Vanitas was frowning, one hand braced against the doorframe, that same tension to his shoulders that Ventus had noticed before. Ventus frowned too, wondering what Vanitas was wanting to say.

Vanitas blinked and the spell was broken. Only then did Ventus realise they'd been staring at each other. Vanitas cleared his throat, his shoulders just slightly sinking.

"We'll… also be refuelling in Moscow, just so you know. If you happen to wake up at all, just go back to sleep. There will be plenty of time to get ready before we land tomorrow morning, so don't worry about oversleeping." Vanitas wouldn't look at him anymore, his fingers drumming idly against the wood of the doorframe as he stood there awkwardly. He seemed uncomfortable, and that bothered Ventus more than it should have. He tried giving Vanitas a smile, unsure of what the sudden problem was.

"At least I know we're not going to Moscow now."

Vanitas smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He still wouldn't look at him either.

"Good night, Ventus."

Leaving the door open, Vanitas turned and immediately entered his bedroom through the other door on the opposite side of the bathroom. The door snapped shut behind him and Ventus was left standing there with an odd, empty feeling. That had been… _weird._ There was no other word for it. It was like the casual ease they'd managed between each other over dinner had simply evaporated.

Ventus sighed and rubbed at his eyes, trying not to dwell on it. There was nothing more he wanted now then to just go to sleep. With tomorrow's plans all still a mystery, he had no idea of what was in store for him.

Flinging open the doors to the closet Vanitas pointed out to him, Ventus openly admired it's contents now that no one was here to gauge his reaction. There were an assortment of clothes all neatly hung up, mostly short-sleeved shirts, t-shirts and shorts. Ventus looked them over thoughtfully, taking this as another clue. They were obviously not travelling anywhere cold then. There were at least five pairs of shoes, three different types of underwear and even a couple sets of overly expensive looking wrist-watches. It was all… a little too much, but Ventus knew he really didn't have any other options besides these. At least the clothing look like it suited him. Retrieving a pair of shorts and a simple blue t-shirt, Ventus locked himself in the bathroom to change. He eyed the door to Vanitas' room warily, but no sounds could be heard from within.

Brushing his teeth, Ventus didn't even notice as his mind started to wander. He thought of Xion and his students first, but that wasn't much of a surprise. After Namine had performed for them and left, and the class had been dismissed for lunch, Xion had quickly approached him at his desk. In so little words, she'd asked him about whether 'Vanitas Ishi' was the reason he'd been so upset that day, lost and confused in the city where she'd found him. She'd been relieved to know it had been unrelated but still worried nonetheless. He hadn't been able to elaborate. There was still a very big part of him that simply could not talk about what had happened with his father, and he wondered if he'd ever be able to without it hurting so much. Xion really did have a heart of gold, though, and so did the rest of his class. If it hadn't been for them and all the things they had said… he would never have given this a chance. Never would have given _Vanitas_ a chance.

He paused in brushing his teeth, his eyes flicking up in the mirror to study his own expression.

When he'd walked out on him, he'd called Vanitas selfish for choosing this life over him, but now, he couldn't help thinking that was all somehow wrong. Was it really possible… Vanitas had gotten himself involved with the yakuza just because of _him?_ He'd wanted them to have a better life, and had ultimately gone about it the wrong way, but could Ventus really fault him for that?

Frowning at himself and looking away, Ventus quickly finished brushing his teeth and gathered up his clothes. Eyeing Vanitas' door one last time, he stepped back through into the main cabin. He briefly realised he'd have to knock on the door to the cockpit to ask for Namine's assistance in making him up a bed, but as he closed the bathroom door behind him, it was obvious that wouldn't be necessary. He hadn't heard a single sound, but somehow, between him getting changed and brushing his teeth, Namine had cleared away their dinner and had converted one of the leather chairs into a bed, complete with pillows and sheets. The entire cabin had it's lights dimmed, as well, perfect for sleeping. Despite what an experience this had been already, Ventus couldn't help smiling. Namine was certainly efficient. Vanitas was obviously lucky to have her, especially since it seemed she didn't serve him out of fear.

He didn't waste anymore time before sliding into the bed, pulling the covers up around his face. It was coolish in the cabin, but not overly so, the heavy blankets covering him already warming him and pulling him down into unconsciousness.

-0-

At some point in the night, Ventus blearily became aware they were on the descent. The jet weaved and rolled with the air currents, but it still wasn't enough to fully wake him. If anything, it just lulled him back to sleep. The next thing he awoke to was the odd sensation of them being back on the ground. The jet was completely still, and he could see dull, fluorescent light filtering in from the open door of the cabin. He hadn't even felt them land. He could hear voices outside on the tarmac, all with heavy accents of some kind, and that's when he realised this must be the refuelling stop in Moscow, just as Vanitas had told him. There was noise of mechanical whirs and clanking before the sound of fuel being pumped into the jet from somewhere far below reached him. He must of dozed off again because before he knew it, they were taking off again, the jet's engines roaring back into life. He half wondered if it was even safe for him to be sleeping like this and not strapped into his seat, but really, if the jet was going to go down for any reason, he doubted a seatbelt would actually do him any good. He rolled over and faced the wall, tugging the blankets closer around him. He'd barely spared a thought for Vanitas' whereabouts before sleep was pulling him under again.

Ventus awoke with a fright some time later, a brief shudder of turbulence shaking the entire jet. It ended as quickly as it had begun, but Ventus had already thrown himself into a seated position, the blankets clenched tight in his hands. The jet stabilised and Ventus breathed out heavily, urging himself to calm down. He couldn't exactly say he'd experienced anything like it before, and it wasn't like he had anything to compare it to, either. Glancing over towards his right, he nearly let out a startled squeak when he unexpectedly found the seat across from him occupied. Vanitas was sprawled there, completely dead to the world, a thin blanket thrown over him with only the chair folded down halfway. Ventus had very nearly shouted at him, until he'd realised he was asleep and not just sitting there staring at him. He breathed in sharply and held it, his eyes already wandering over Vanitas' bare chest that was gently rising and falling with each of his breath's, his dark eyelashes pressed against his cheeks. His mouth was open slightly and he was rolled onto his side facing Ventus, one hand curled underneath his chin and supporting his head. He didn't have a pillow.

Chewing on his bottom lip, Ventus took his time admiring Vanitas' tattoos, knowing he could this time without being seen and feeling guilty for it. The arm that he could see was Vanitas' left, and he drank in the rich, detailed colours of the Inugami, the different shades of red all still discernable in the half-light. There were waves, or perhaps fire, that the Inugami seemed to be leaping through, chrysanthemum flowers also beautifully depicted around the spirit dog's snarling form. He remembered their night together, remembered those arms curled around his waist, pulling him close and squeezing him tighter...

Ventus shivered and pulled the blankets back around his shoulders as he lay down again and settled. He watched Vanitas sleep peacefully, feeling strangely comforted by his presence. Without the pressure of having to make conversation, it was actually... nice like this. With nothing but the silence, though, it didn't take long for his troubling thoughts to creep back in.

Just because their story hadn't gone by the book, did that make it so wrong...? In truth, he'd always known that Vanitas wasn't exactly a saint, but the _real_ question here was, if he was ever to seriously consider it... could he really love a murderer? Could he really _be_ with Vanitas, knowing the things he'd done?

Across from him, Vanitas shifted slightly, his eyelashes fluttering for only a second before he fell still again, and Ventus' attention was drawn to the small signet ring that Vanitas wore on his right hand. He hadn't noticed him wearing it earlier tonight, so seeing it now was like a sharp jab to his stomach. The symbol for _Ishi_ seemed to almost glow out at him in the gloom and Ventus glared at it, a bitter taste lingering on his tongue.

Tearing his eyes away, he rolled over to face the wall again, urging himself to sleep. Just two more days, and this would all be over. No more confusion, no more doubts, and no more Vanitas.

-0-

They were finally descending.

Ventus had been awoken by Namine an hour or so earlier as she opened the shades on all of the cabin's windows and encouraged him to go shower and prepare himself for the day ahead. Already dressed and ready, Vanitas had greeted him as if none of the previous night's tension had ever happened, and Ventus didn't breathe a word about finding him sleeping on the chair beside him. It hadn't escaped his notice that Vanitas hadn't spent the entire night there, either, the chair opposite empty and back in its upright position by the time he was conscious enough to look. He still wasn't sure of what to make of it, but it was definitely something that was best kept to himself.

Their landing was a bit rough, but finally the jet was back on the ground, already slowly taxiing to wherever the terminal was located, wherever they actually _were_. Ventus had looked out of the window on the descent and had only seen a lot of sparkling blue ocean, none of the tiny jewel-like islands they were flying over even remotely familiar to him. But now that they were finally here, he was sure to find out soon enough.

Vanitas was obviously excited and Ventus felt like it was infectious. If nothing else, he was ridiculously curious, and maybe just a little nervous. All he knew was it had to be somewhere warm and he'd made sure to dress appropriately.

"You ready?" Vanitas murmured, unbuckling his seatbelt and already moving over towards the cabin's door.

"Yeah." Ventus answered, licking his suddenly dry lips. Ready for what, he didn't know, but he still couldn't wait to get through that door.

Vanitas waited until he had the signal from the personnel outside before he was disengaging the locks on the door. He flung it open, almost with a flourish, and stepped aside to give Ventus the full view. He was already grinning and looked so carefree that Ventus felt like his heart was racing right out of his chest.

Welcome to… Skiathos."

"Skiathos…" Ventus breathed, a wave of heat hitting him full in the face as he stared out in awe at the beautiful paradise before him. He knew of Skiathos, knew it to be one of the Greek Islands, but never, had he imagined he'd actually ever _be_ here.

He could see a rambling, hill-side town of whitewashed stone houses with attractively coloured, terracotta roofing and long, rectangular windows with wooden shutters on each side. _Green,_ as far as he could see, wonderfully lush trees all nestled in amongst the buildings that were curled around an ocean bay that just seemed to _glow_ in the sun, the water so blue here it was almost iridescent.

Swept up in a dreamlike state, Ventus shakily raised his phone up in front of him to snap a photo before a light touch on his arm was bringing him back to his senses. He looked at Vanitas beside him, and he was sure Vanitas' expression matched his own.

"Amazing, huh?"

Ventus breathily laughed. "That's… gotta be the understatement of a _century."_

Vanitas laughed, too, his grin sharp. "What do you want to do first?"

Ventus' brain ground to a halt. "What kinda question is _that?_ " He immediately knew he wanted to do _everything._

Vanitas laughed again and started leading the way down the stairs and Ventus eagerly followed him.

"Well, there's a lot of things we can do here. It depends on what you're in the mood for."

"Like, what?" Ventus breathed, still honestly starstruck. He could see restaurants and cafes in the distance, people milling around everywhere, some even lounging down by the water on sunbeds underneath large, white umbrellas. They reached the bottom of the stairs and Vanitas turned to him, his smile just a touch too devious.

"Well, there's a nudist beach here. We could check that out first?"

"...N… _Nudist_ … beach?" Ventus' eyes glazed over, his mind already unhelpfully pulling up images of Vanitas a little less dressed and his mouth was _entirely_ too dry. He could feel his face heating up, and it wasn't just the warmth of the sun. He floundered for too long of a moment, trying to form enough words to answer.

Vanitas bumped his shoulder with his, rolling his eyes but still grinning. "I'm _joking_ , Ventus. Don't freak out on me."

Ventus tried to hide how flustered he was and failed miserably. He was already thinking Vanitas looking at him like that was going to be the death of him.

"Come on. I'll show you around." Vanitas nodded over towards a black Jeep that was obviously waiting for them, over to one side of the tarmac, and Ventus felt excitement bubbling up inside him all over again. From what he'd seen of Skiathos already, he was more than sure that wherever Vanitas chose to take him, he wouldn't find himself disappointed.

-0-

Skiathos was beautiful. So completely different to the bustle and business of Tokyo City back home. Ventus loved the feeling of the mediterranean sun on his face and the warm breeze blowing through his hair as Vanitas slowly drove them through the countryside. Rolling hills and fields of green surrounded them, brief glimpses of small country homes dotted here and there on both sides and Ventus found he didn't really care how long it would be till they reached their destination, because this moment right here, was bordering on perfection. Vanitas seemed more than relaxed too, one arm slung along the open window edge, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes.

It wasn't long till they were making their way up a steep, winding road, and Ventus looked ahead of them to see a large, ancient building coming into view. It was an old Monastery, beautifully restored and tended to, as if it had been built yesterday. Vanitas had obviously been before, but he was all too happy in showing Ventus around it. Entry was free and they wandered around together, exploring the various rooms open to the public and marvelling over the intricately crafted, ecclesiastical artefacts that the monks that still lived here had kept safe from the ravages of time.

They didn't spend more than forty minutes there before Vanitas was hurrying him along, citing he was starting to get hungry. They made their way south again and Vanitas parked near to the township so they could wander along the waterfront and find somewhere to eat. They ended up choosing one of the larger cafes near towards the heart of the town and sat outside, their view of the ocean unobstructed. After Vanitas had helped Ventus decipher the menu, and had ordered for them in fluent _Greek_ (Ventus couldn't quite hide how stunned he was at hearing it), they had fallen into an easy conversation that had caught Ventus off guard. Being here, it was surprisingly far too natural to leave all of his doubts about Vanitas back in Japan. It was also refreshing to see that none of the wait-staff, or other patrons surrounding them knew anything about Vanitas' reputation, so it was easy to relax and just… _be_ themselves. Ventus knew this wasn't reality, not by a long shot, but he was allowing this indulgence, just this once. He tried to just think of it as a long goodbye, ignoring how cruel of a thought that really was. The lingering uncertainty was still there, like a crick in his neck, but then, Vanitas' leg brushed against his underneath the table and all of his worries slowly started ebbing away.

If he'd had any lingering hang-ups about being here, _and_ with Vanitas of all people, the food quickly banished it all from his mind. They had ordered a number of small plates to share between them, and Ventus had never seen dishes so amazingly exotic. There was char-grilled octopus, lightly seasoned with fresh lemon juice and cracked black pepper, a feta and prawn salad, tomatoes and chunks of cucumber making the green of the lettuce-leaves pop, chicken souvlaki with minted yoghurt, warm pitted olives and roasted potatoes, and large, thick-cut slabs of halloumi cheese, grilled and golden. Ventus idly wondered how often he was going to be stunned into silence while he was here, and Vanitas couldn't hide how content he was to see Ventus enjoying himself.

They shared a bottle of white wine and looked out over the many locals and tourists all passing them by, many of whom were enjoying themselves in the water or lazing down on the beach. Ventus learned things about Vanitas he never expected, like him owning a cat aptly named 'Boss', and that he'd taken up boxing and tennis to keep fit. They both carefully skirted around discussing Vanitas' 'work' in any capacity, which Ventus was more than thankful for. In turn, he talked about his students, about his life in Kyoto, and even a little about Terra and Aqua. He'd been worried about Vanitas' reaction, especially considering the last time he'd mentioned Terra, but Vanitas hadn't seemed bothered at all. Vanitas had gone as far as to ask how they had all met, and Ventus would never have been able to express how much he appreciated that. Vanitas was trying, and it was effortless with them so at ease with each other like this. They even spoke of times when they were still teenagers, about the teachers that had annoyed them at school, about saving their money to go down to the local karaoke bar that one time, or how Vanitas had tried to make him a pizza one night, which had really just been a soggy, doughy mess. It was like, even with the times they had spent apart, none of that mattered now that they were together again, and Ventus felt like he hadn't been this happy in years. The thought startled him, more than anything. Even more so when he realised it was true.

When they'd finally eaten so much Ventus thought he'd have to unbutton his pants, a waiter brought them their bill and Ventus eyed it with some confusion, the strange letters and symbols all leaping out at him. He didn't understand any of what was written on it, so he had no idea of how expensive everything had cost them. Before Vanitas could get his own out, Ventus had already extracted his credit card and laid it on top of the bill. He only had Yen in his wallet, and he was kind of worried about the conversion fee, but he couldn't just let Vanitas pay for everything. It didn't seem… right.

Vanitas gently picked his card up and pressed it back into his hand.

"No, Ventus. I said I'd take you to dinner, so I pay. Don't worry yourself about it."

In spite of himself, Ventus actually laughed. He gave Vanitas a small smile. "Well… this has gotta be the longest dinner I've ever had."

Vanitas laughed too, replacing Ventus' card with his own. His answering smile was fond and Ventus couldn't help but be ensnared.

"That's one way of looking at it."

They left the cafe and walked along the streets of Skiathos, ducking into all kinds of different shops that sold everything from fine jewellery, to clothes, to dinky, cheap souvenirs. The white of the buildings helped take the edge off the heat and they wound their way up and down several flights of uneven stone stairs, window-boxes of colourful red flowers adorning most, if not all, of the laneways. There were also cats – _cats everywhere._ It seemed the island had a rather large population of _'homeless'_ cats, Ventus noticing Vanitas' reluctance in calling them feral, even if that was technically what they were. The cats lounged on the stairs, slept in windows and peered down at them from little balconies and alcoves as they walked passed. They were all kinds of colours and most seemed friendly enough, obviously quite used to living here alongside the locals without fear or care. Just watching him from the corner of his eye, Ventus could see Vanitas really liked them, which was another surprising fact he'd never known about him. They were walking so closely together, that sometimes, the backs of their hands touched, and Ventus allowed it, knowing it would mean more than it should if he were to ever reach out to intertwine their fingers.

As if reading his thoughts, Vanitas suddenly turned to him, his grin soft around the edges.

"I think it's time for a change of scenery."

They made their way back to Vanitas' Jeep and drove along the coastline, Ventus admiring the casual familiarity with which Vanitas navigated them further around the island, the coolness of the wind coming off the sea drying the sweat that had accumulated along the back of his neck and underneath his shirt.

Twenty minutes later, Vanitas making a joke out of singing along to some of the Greek songs playing on the radio, they finally arrived at Koukounaries Beach. Here, there seemed to be just as many people, the bay much larger and the water just as inviting. Vanitas bought them a paper plate of local doughnuts to share called 'Loukoumades', which Ventus had trouble pronouncing, but no trouble at all in eating. They were warm and sugary, dripping with local honey and dusted with cinnamon. They found two sunbeds along the beach and kicked off their shoes, the fine sand wonderfully warm against Ventus' feet. He lay back against the sunbed, closing his eyes and stretching along it in bliss. He'd never experienced going on a holiday, having done nothing but study and work, but he knew, even when he returned home, Skiathos would forever be a hard act to follow.

"Do you wanna… maybe go for a swim?" He asked Vanitas, who was still polishing off the rest of the Loukoumades beside him.

Vanitas didn't answer right away, seeming to think about it before he passed Ventus the last of the doughnuts. "Not here. I've got a better place in mind."

"Better than _here?"_ Ventus scoffed. "How much 'better' could it possibly get?"

Vanitas just smiled secretively, already standing to leave. "The day isn't over yet. You'll just have to wait and see."

Rolling his eyes, but in a good-natured way, Ventus scuffed on his shoes and rose to follow.

-0-

Ventus… was dreaming. He had to be. Because, somehow, he was now on a boat. A luxury yacht, to be exact, that Vanitas was currently operating as they slowly navigated their way along the rugged coastline of Skiathos. Seeing the island from this point of view was just as great as seeing it from the land, if not better, and Ventus held on tight to one of the shining metal railings as they glided over the ocean's smooth surface, light salty spray dampening his cheeks and lips. He knew he was grinning from ear to ear and he couldn't help it in the slightest. He'd been on a boat as many times as he'd been on a plane; this trip proving to be a lot of firsts.

He looked back behind them, his hair whipping around his face as he watched the slowly disappearing trail of white seafoam the yacht was leaving behind in its wake. Once again he had no idea of where they were going but he was sure it was going to be great. Vanitas had informed him that some parts of Skiathos were only accessible by boat, so it sounded like they were going to a place far away from the usual tourist spots. Ventus didn't necessarily mind crowds, or people in general, but exploring something like a hidden cove or an isolated beach sounded so _exciting._ He looked out over the ocean, over towards their right, studying the small, white motorboat that was trailing them at a careful distance. He felt naive for not realising it sooner, but even here, Vanitas had made sure his own safety was a bullet-proof guarantee. The other boat that followed them most likely had Demyx on board and Namine, and probably a handful of others who had flown over on a separate plane. They were never far from Vanitas' side, which obviously wasn't that surprising when Ventus really considered it. He wondered why they didn't just join them on here, but he guessed Vanitas just wanted them to be on their own, as much as they could be anyway. He was grateful for it, truly. He didn't need the reminder of Vanitas' underlings following them around like some sort of brutish entourage.

Ventus' attention was drawn elsewhere as the hum of the yacht's engines eased noticeably, slowing them to a gentle stop. Ventus looked over at the small beach they'd pulled up alongside of, and then, up at the sheer rocky cliffs towering high overhead. He couldn't help but gasp as he saw what was up at the very top, lifting a hand to shield his eyes from the sharp glare of the sun. Perched precariously, almost as if built to eventually tumble over the edge of the barren, stony cliffs, were the crumbling ruins of what appeared to be an ancient castle, or church. It was half swallowed up by thick underbrush and vegetation, but the stonework of the main building still stood tall against the skyline, a single flag fluttering wildly in the breeze.

There was a mechanic rattling of heavy, iron chain as the yacht's anchor lowered down into the water beneath them and Ventus heard Vanitas making his way down the stairs from the top deck to come to a stop alongside him.

"You wanna take a look?" Vanitas asked him, resting his forearms along the yacht's side-railing.

"What is it?" Ventus murmured, still staring up at the ruins in wonder. Vanitas followed his gaze.

"It's what's left of an ancient town. In the 14th Century, there were many pirates around these islands, so the people of Kastro built their homes on top of the cliffs here, where they had the best vantage points to defend themselves."

 _Pirates,_ Ventus thought dreamily, feeling like a kid on christmas morning. He looked over the ruins more closely, noticing for the first time the hulking forms of iron cannons situated all along what was left of the town's walls.

"Is it… Is it easy to get up there?"

Vanitas hummed. "It's… a bit of a trek, but it's nothing we can't manage."

"Then, yeah, definitely! Let's go!"

Ventus was all too eager to explore, having no idea of what to really expect, but he had a feeling if pirates were involved, he already knew he was going to love it. It went without saying, that the view from up there _had_ to be more than worth it, as well.

He waited with barely concealed impatience as Vanitas lowered the yacht's tender down into the water before beckoning for Ventus to jump in and join him. The outboard motor started easily enough and they were soon racing towards the shore. The tender left on the beach, Vanitas lead him towards a rough stone walkway that was hidden amongst the undergrowth. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Ventus grinned and started to climb, Vanitas following not far behind him. There were a lot of narrow pathways and stone steps with some even missing a few stones at random intervals, but they were both more than capable of maneuvering around any difficult spots. Even if it was slow going they would make it to the top soon enough.

They were on the last set of steps when Ventus became aware of how heavily Vanitas was breathing behind him. Ventus was out of breath too – it had been quite the climb, but he still wasn't wheezing like an eighty year old man. The last two steps were much higher and spaced further apart from each other, and without giving it any more thought than necessary, Ventus easily climbed them before turning to offer Vanitas a hand.

He leaned forwards, his hand outstretched and Vanitas, who had been staring down at his feet as he pushed himself to keep climbing, came to a swaying halt. He stared at Ventus' hand for a moment, his eyes flicking up to his face with a small amount of surprise as he hesitantly reached forwards and slid their hands together. Ventus felt the warm heat of the sun against his neck, his palms and fingers tingling against Vanitas' as he starkly realised this was the first time they had touched since arriving here. It was like a bolt of lightning, the realisation that Vanitas had been so careful never to initiate anything physical between them, that he'd been consciously making an effort in making sure Ventus never felt uncomfortable or pressured, and now, here he was, the first of them both to reach out.

Ventus swallowed and blinked away his revelation as he pulled gently, all but dragging Vanitas up the last two steps. They finally stood on even ground, the warm sea air whipping playfully at their clothes. Vanitas didn't allow their contact to linger as he braced his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. Ventus couldn't help laughing at him.

"Maybe you should quit smoking."

Straightening, Vanitas rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. "Yeah, yeah."

Ventus just rolled his eyes back in answer, but felt himself grinning too before he finally turned away to survey their surroundings. The ancient town was directly in front of them, rough stone walls of various buildings spread out along the cliff-top. What was left of their crumbling mortar and foundations were all weathered and battered from the sun and sea. Breathless, excited, Ventus wandered closer to the edge of the settlement, moving to stand between what appeared to be crenellations of an old fortress.

"Wow…"

The view was as magnificent as he'd imagined, the deep blue of the ocean stretching out before them as far as he could see until it eventually disappeared along the horizon, a shimmering line of white where the water blended with the sky. Ventus took a few moments trying to catch it all perfectly within a photo, but his phone just couldn't do it justice. He committed it to memory as much as he could, and when Vanitas came to stand beside him he couldn't really stop himself from burning that particular view into his mind as well. He didn't know what it was, but the wind always seemed to make Vanitas look even better than he did normally. His hair was a wonderful mess and Ventus could just see Vanitas' cheeks and nose starting to stain pink from the sun, his golden eyes brighter in this light than any other time he'd seen them. Vanitas was looking out over the view too, and he smiled in such a gentle, honest way that Ventus felt like he couldn't breathe properly, that perhaps he was more winded from the climb up than he'd first thought.

When they'd wandered around the small ruins enough to satisfy Ventus' curiosity, they made their way back down to the beach and walked along it. Lalaria Beach,as Vanitas informed him, was immediately Ventus' favourite place yet. The pebbly sand of the beach was so white it was almost blinding, the water gently rushing up to greet them along the shoreline, a shimmering, pearlescent blue. The steep, limestone cliffs walled them in, towering high above and granting them with just a little bit of shade and respite from the sun.

They made their way back to the yacht and Ventus finally got to enjoy feeling the coolness of the water for himself. He and Vanitas changed into boardshorts and swam just off the boat, Vanitas even revealing snorkelling gear for them to use which Ventus happily took advantage of. At one point, they were both standing on the back of the yacht together, Ventus more laughing than actually telling Vanitas about some drunken night he'd had out with Aqua when Vanitas suddenly grinned at him wickedly before grabbing him by the forearms and throwing them both back into the water.

Hardly expecting it, Ventus broke the surface of the water with a spluttering gasp, his arms flailing for the small platform on the side of the boat. He clung there, breathing heavily as Vanitas burst from the water beside him, laughing so hard Ventus would have thought he was crying from it, if not for the water still trailing down his face and dripping from the ends of his hair. Ventus didn't have it in him to be mad as he caught himself laughing too, already reaching for a handful of Vanitas' hair to roughly dunk him back under the water.

The evening found them lazing comfortably on the back of the yacht, the large outdoor lounge more than accommodating to them both as Ventus was finally treated to the aforementioned dinner Vanitas had promised him. Several platters of fresh seafood were spread out on the table before them and Ventus honestly didn't know where to start first. There were lobsters, crabs and scampi still in the shell, fresh oysters, mussels and at least two different kinds of prawns, all set out beautifully on beds of crushed ice and lettuce leaves. Grilled local fish with squid and baby octopus, marinated in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice were also on offer, as well as several salads with fresh tomatoes, olives and cucumber, and cubes of avocado and crumbled feta cheese. Namine had graciously served them before departing for the security boat again, leaving them to their own devices as Vanitas uncorked a bottle of champagne.

They were still anchored just off Lalaria Beach with no one else around, the sun still very much present in the sky, but now more hiding behind the cliffs. They were still dressed in their boardshorts, Ventus wearing a light t-shirt while Vanitas wore a dark singlet that almost seemed unfair with how well it contrasted with his tattoos. Ventus had to tell himself to stop looking and to focus on the food instead, especially when Vanitas began noticing how distracted he seemed to be. It didn't help that they were sitting so closely together they were almost touching, barely more than a few inches apart, but Ventus convinced himself it would be rude for him to move away, completely ignoring the fact that he really didn't want to, to begin with.

"Do you come here a lot? To Skiathos, I mean?" Ventus asked, sounding curious, tilting his glass of champagne to his lips. He'd never really tasted any before, but it was refreshing and bubbly and easy to like. "You seem pretty familiar with everything."

Vanitas, busying himself with the oysters, finished eating one and discarded the empty shell in a nearby metal bowl. "Skiathos is actually one of my favourite places to be. It's always peaceful… and I don't have to worry about appearances here." He reached for another oyster, his expression thoughtful but still open. "Well, I don't have to worry about anything for that matter."

Ventus didn't immediately say anything, not really needing the reminder. He remembered the people all fearful and apprehensive of Vanitas back in the cafe in Tokyo and compared that to their lunch today in the middle of busy Skiathos where no one had even given them a second glance. There was no competition; being here was ultimately better, even if it was far from their reality. He took another large gulp of his champagne, hiding his troubled expression behind the rim of his glass. Luckily, Vanitas wasn't looking at him. He knew it was pointless to go over it again, but even so, he couldn't stop himself from briefly wishing it could always be this easy...

"There is one thing, though." Vanitas continued, his fingers playing along the stem of his glass. "I… always come here on my own. So, this is a first."

Vanitas was still staring down at his champagne, and Ventus couldn't help thinking he seemed kind of nervous. All at once he looked up and met Ventus' eyes, a small rueful smile on his face.

"But I… really enjoyed spending time with you today… and I'm happy you agreed to come along." He shrugged at Ventus, some of his nonchalance returning. "Even if… you weren't exactly expecting dinner to turn into a two-day affair."

Ventus snorted, a bubble of laughter escaping him. "I honestly don't know what I was expecting, but travelling halfway around the world was _definitely_ not what I had in mind."

Vanitas was still smiling fondly at him, his eyes soft as he sat back in his seat, his head tilting back to rest against the wall.

"You're finally smiling…" He breathed, and he almost looked… _relieved._

Confused, Ventus frowned slightly and couldn't help a nervous laugh. "What do you mean? I've been… smiling all day."

Vanitas' lips quirked to the side, his expression still soft. "I know. But, you're finally smiling because of me."

Ventus hurriedly looked away and cleared his throat quietly. He had no answer to that, the atmosphere between them taking on a subtle change. Vanitas kept speaking and Ventus caught himself holding his breath.

"I… haven't seen you smile in years, and the first time you finally did smile around me, you were talking about someone else. Someone else… who was making you happy."

Ventus' eyes widened. He realised what Vanitas was referring to. On their night together, when he'd been talking about Kyoto and Terra over dinner, and Vanitas… Vanitas had–

"I reacted badly. _Beyond_ badly. I couldn't help how jealous I felt. But... that's no excuse."

Ventus sharply turned and met Vanitas' eyes, his heart hammering behind his ribs. Vanitas was the very picture of remorse and Ventus had never seen him look so sincere.

"I… never meant to hurt you… and I hope you believe that."

Ventus swallowed around the hard lump in his throat, words unbidden to him already fighting their way passed his lips.

"...I do." He murmured, so quiet the sound of the water lapping against the yacht's hull nearly drowned him out, and all the while, panicked alarm bells were going off in his head.

Something was happening between them now, something he had no hope in hell putting a stop to. He knew he'd meant what he'd said – had always known Vanitas would never physically hurt him on purpose, but this… Was it _really_ the right ideato be getting swept up in the moment? He couldn't help but feel like he was in danger somehow, like there was something he was conveniently forgetting.

Vanitas suddenly leaned into him, and Ventus couldn't hide his surprise or his sharp intake of breath. Vanitas' hand softly slid along his jawline and Ventus didn't pull away, completely frozen in his seat as Vanitas closed what little space was still between them.

"This… doesn't have to be a one time thing, Ventus. If you wanted to… we could do this again..."

Vanitas was so close, all Ventus would have to do would be to lean forwards just a little and their lips would meet. The pads of Vanitas' fingers were invitingly warm as he slowly moved his hand from Ventus' face to the nape of his neck. His other hand reached for one of Ventus' that was resting lax against his thigh, and Ventus, momentarily distracted, glanced down at the touch. Vanitas' signet ring caught the light and Ventus stared down at it as if waking from a dream, a sharp moment of clarity bringing him to his senses.

And _there_ it was – the yawning chasm that had divided them, opening back up and swallowing him whole. He felt like he'd been seconds away from selling his soul.

"Don't…" He managed to warble out. He sharply leaned away, lifting a hand to lightly brace it against Vanitas' chest. Vanitas allowed himself to be pushed, his hands releasing their hold on him almost immediately.

Without waiting to hear Vanitas' inevitable, unfavourable response, Ventus abruptly stood and stepped through into the yacht's interior. He wasn't sure of where he was hoping to escape to, but if he had to look at that _damn_ ring one more time he was more than sure he'd be ripping it off Vanitas' finger and hurling it into the sea.

A sudden hard grip around his upper arm startled him, having heard nothing of Vanitas actually following him. He was thrown off balance as he was harshly whirled around, both of Vanitas' hands locking around his shoulders and holding him in place. Vanitas was beyond livid, the expression on his face almost dangerous as their eyes met in a violent clash of blue and gold. His initial shock wearing off, Ventus was unperturbed, his own anger only rising to the challenge.

"You are _testing_ the very limits of my patience, Ventus." Vanitas bit out, his grip on Ventus' shoulders only tightening. " _Why_ is this so hard for you to _grasp?_ Why do you have to keep fighting me at every _single_ turn?"

"You made this bed, now lie in it!" Ventus shouted, finally having enough of holding back. "You ruined _everything_ between us as soon as you started sneaking around playing gangster with the Yakuza!" Adrenaline coursing through him, Ventus struggled against Vanitas' hold on him.

"Let go of me, Vanitas!"

Vanitas only narrowed his eyes, looking all the more viciously determined.

"No. I've had enough of this."

Throwing himself forward, Vanitas pushed Ventus backwards until they reached the nearest wall and bodily fell against him, his hands already grappling to keep him there. Ventus fought against losing the upper hand but Vanitas was obviously more practiced in overpowering people than he was. One of his arms held fast against the wall, the other still pushing uselessly at Vanitas' chest, Ventus never stopped struggling, even as Vanitas gripped his chin hard and forcibly pressed their foreheads together.

"Looks like I'm going to have to _make_ you understand."

Vanitas' lips roughly pressed into his and Ventus almost violently wrenched his face away, his one free arm instinctively cocking back, his hand clenched into a fist. He threw the punch wildly and Vanitas easily blocked it, a smirk full of his ego already twisting his lips.

"Not this time, Ventus. You've hit me once, but I'll nev–"

He never got to finish, Ventus slamming his knee up, straight between his legs.

All at once, the room was very still. A winded groan of pain gurgled its way up Vanitas' throat as he heavily slumped against Ventus, his eyes wide in shock. Ventus just stood there, his chest heaving for breath and his hands balled into fists at his sides while Vanitas slowly sunk to his knees in front of him.

"A lesson for you… It's about time you learned it." Ventus spit out at him between breaths. "I'm not something you can just _have_ by force! Whenever you damn well feel like it!"

Needing the distance between them, he was quick to get away from Vanitas, moving to the other side of the room. Vanitas didn't move at all, still hunched in on himself on the floor, one hand feebly braced against the wall.

Ventus felt sick to his stomach, a bitter taste filling his mouth. He was a fool to have _ever_ thought Vanitas had changed for the better. _Yes_ , Vanitas had said he'd never _meant_ to hurt him, but he'd never actually said he was _sorry,_ and that may as well have made all the difference in the world.

"This was a mistake." He told Vanitas' back, knowing he'd still be listening. "I'm going back to Skiathos. I'll organise my own way home."

Groaning with the effort, Vanitas shakily reaffirmed his grip against the wall and gradually made his way to standing. Turning on the spot, his movements sluggish, Vanitas glared over at him, slowly shaking his head.

"I won't let you go. Not now, and not _ever!"_

Ventus' anger eclipsed all else. This entire ordeal with Vanitas was just spiralling down into pure _madness,_ and it was going to end _now_.

"Why can't you just accept that it's over between us!?"

Vanitas stood up straighter, one hand still braced against the wall. His expression was still noticeably pained, but now with an added touch of desperation.

"Because you still love me, I know you do!"

Ventus balked, but recovered quickly, his anger still burning hot. "How could I!? I don't know you at all anymore, Vanitas!"

Vanitas glowered at him, his mouth firmly shut, and Ventus took the opportunity to keep going.

"Have you ever _Googled_ yourself? Vanitas Ishi - The _demon,_ who specialises in cutting people's guts out – who singlehandedly commands a personal army of thousands of men and enjoys killing with a smile on his face. Ask yourself – how could I _possibly_ love someone like that?"

Ventus' chest still heaved, the weight of his words that he'd wanted to speak for so long fuelling him onwards. Vanitas waited, his expression unreadable.

"You… You're nothing but this _cold_ , manipulative…"

"Finish it." Vanitas murmured, and Ventus felt like the world was falling away beneath his feet. He couldn't stop himself, even as he wished he could.

"...Monster."

The word had no sooner left his lips before Ventus regret it, bile rising up his throat. He looked away, ashamed, his hands clenched, his shoulders hunched.

The silence was long and heavy between them. Even as Vanitas slowly began walking towards him, Ventus didn't move. Vanitas stopped directly in front of him, close enough to touch, but Ventus refused to look at him, completely lost as to where to go from here. It was like someone had drained all of the anger from inside of him, just leaving him empty and exhausted.

"I was ready to give up, until I saw your face today. I see the way you look at me when you think I can't see." Vanitas told him quietly, his words loud in the space between them. "I wouldn't have tried so hard if I didn't think I had a chance."

Ventus said nothing, having no way to answer.

"Ven…"

His heart beating its way into his throat, Ventus started slightly, his eyes wide and panicked as he finally looked up at Vanitas. Vanitas just calmly looked back at him, the both of them knowing that Vanitas never called him that lightly. It _always_ meant something, something Ventus wasn't prepared in believing.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't."

Ventus stared, his panic steadily rising. There was no way he could run from this, nothing he could say that wasn't the _truth._

"Say it." Vanitas insisted. "Tell me you don't love me."

 _Just say it,_ Ventus urged himself. _Just tell him you don't... and all of this will be over..._

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and whatever face he was making obviously worked in Vanitas' favour. Vanitas looked coldly triumphant, his eyes narrowing as Ventus continued to flounder.

"You can't say it, and do you know why?" He whispered harshly, leaning further into Ventus' space. "You're trying _so_ hard to convince yourself that I'm nothing more than a stranger now, but the truth is, despite me being older and a lot more wise to the ways of the world, you just don't want to admit that I actually haven't changed as much as you'd first thought."

Ventus still didn't speak as Vanitas lifted both hands to his face and gently slid them along his cheeks, his fingers threading through his hair and curling around the nape of his neck.

"Look at me, Ventus, _really_ look at me."

And Ventus couldn't do anything _but_ look. The way Vanitas looked now, he looked like that boy… the boy he'd _used_ to know. The same boy he'd laughed with, cried with, the one that had always been there for him, that had never… left him behind. He could see Vanitas' vulnerability in his eyes, feel the faint tremor running through the hands carefully cradling his face and wondered all over again how he'd even done it?

How had he… _ever_ said goodbye?

"I did… what I had to do. To survive." Vanitas went on, searching Ventus' eyes for some glimmer of understanding. "And I know it might seem like I've changed a lot, but inside… I'm still the same as I was six years ago."

One of Vanitas' thumbs brushed soothingly along his cheekbone and Ventus felt like he was drowning.

 _Stop…_

"I'm still that boy… who grew up with you. Still the only one… who's a mess without you..."

 _Please stop..._

"Who has _always_ been madly… _stupid_ in _lo–"_

"I don't love you."

Vanitas' hands fell still.

It had barely been above a whisper but Ventus had still managed to say it. He held Vanitas' eyes, unwavering.

Vanitas frowned, but it was obvious his resolve had been shaken.

"Ventu–"

"I DON'T love you, Vanitas. Not anymore. I… can't. And I won't."

Vanitas held on for a moment longer before his hands hesitantly left Ventus' face. He took a step back, his expression crushed as he looked away, and Ventus felt like he'd just ripped out his own heart.

 _What have I done...?_

"You wanna know something?" Vanitas asked him softly after a short, painful silence, a sad, bitter smile working its way onto his face. "You wanna know why I wasn't there when you woke up that morning after our… night together?"

Ventus breathed in sharply and Vanitas clearly heard it.

"I woke up, and you were in my arms. You were clinging to me, like you never wanted to let go."

Ventus didn't trust himself to look at him, but the defeated edge to Vanitas' words still managed to cut deep, right into the very marrow of his bones.

"I couldn't… couldn't _stand_ seeing your face after you woke up and realised. How you would look at me when you remembered… the circumstances."

 _Oh, god…_

Ventus knew he couldn't speak. Couldn't be sure of what he'd say, if he could even get the words out. All he could do was stand there and clench his fists. His hands wouldn't stop shaking, his eyes prickling unpleasantly. He knew there was a chance that Vanitas was making it up, but what did he have to lose now? When Ventus had… _finally..._

"There won't be any flights out at this time… but I'll take you to the airport tomorrow."

Vanitas walked away from him, heading towards the stairs leading down into the cabins. He paused on the threshold but didn't turn.

"I suggest you use the second bedroom on the left. There's a lock on the door."

He turned back towards Ventus a little and Ventus could just see the curve of his face, his eyes still hidden.

"It's… almost funny. I'm supposed to be the cruel one, the _'monster'_ , but you're the only one who's different here, Ventus."

Their eyes met, and Ventus felt rooted to the spot.

"I was _never_ the good guy. And you know it."

And then, Vanitas was gone, disappearing into the dark.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Oh man, this is crazy late. The start of this year crippled me mentally and I nearly died at work (lol) but I'm OKAY. I also went backpacking across the USA for 6 weeks which was ah-mazing. Vegas and New Orleans defeated me, the Virginia countryside took my breath away. I also fell in love with San Francisco and surprisingly really enjoyed Coachella. I am gonna try REALLY hard to just bang the last two chapters of this out so don't worry about this being abandoned (if anyone's even still hanging out for this orz), I promise I'll be completing it. ALSO, there is a lot of dialogue in this chapter, cause they need to sort their shit out. Ha

* * *

 **Chapter Four.**

So unexpectedly lost and alone in his childhood, Ventus finding a friend in Vanitas proved to be one of the best things that could ever have happened to him. With a bit of encouragement, he slowly came completely out of his shell and, although the opportunity was there, he never felt a need to make friends with anyone else. As the years passed them by, it was always just him and Vanitas, facing off against the entire world. Vanitas proved himself to be a bad influence and troublesome at times, and didn't take well to rules, but he always had Ventus' back, no matter what the situation, and Ventus was all too happy to have someone in his life that genuinely seemed to care about him. He eventually learned Vanitas had never had parents of his own, the couple that looked after him simply tolerating him so as to keep collecting their government-issued welfare cheques for supposedly 'raising and caring for him'. Ventus, for his part, rarely ever saw his own father anymore, but he told himself he didn't care. Like Vanitas had said to him that day they'd first become friends, he didn't need his father at all – he only needed Van.

When Ventus had turned 15, things suddenly changed. Seemingly out of the blue, his father remarried, and his new wife fell pregnant shortly after. Always formal and straight to the point when dealing with him, his father had wasted no time in convincing Ventus it would be for the best if he moved into an apartment all on his own. Lost for words, Ventus had thought of nothing at the time but to agree.

His new 'home' was a tiny studio apartment on the opposite side of town from his father's residence, equipped only with the bare essentials for him to live by. No television, no refrigerator – just a small, second-hand microwave, sitting lonely on the kitchenette beside the sink. His father had instructed that he would have an allowance for food and rent deposited into his bank account on the first of every month, and with those parting words, Ventus had packed two boxes-worth of his belongings and had been ushered into one of his father's chauffeur-driven cars. His father had not waited to wave him off – had been quick to disappear inside again, and Ventus was left watching the door to his old home close shut with something like finality, his nose pressed against the glass of the passenger-side window.

Now, sitting with his back pressed against a wall in his new apartment, his few possessions in their boxes still situated neatly by the front door where the driver of the car had left them, Ventus couldn't fight his tears anymore – couldn't believe the lie he constantly told himself. The loneliness of his situation crashed over him, the _realisation_ – that his father had finally succeeded in getting rid of him. It was years' worth of unshed tears that ran down his face, his broken sobs echoing in the emptiness all around him, and for the first time in the _longest_ time, all he wanted was his mother. Somewhere, in amongst all his jumbled thoughts, he briefly remembered he'd been supposed to meet up with Vanitas tonight like he always did, but as the sun set and the tiny room slowly darkened, Ventus realised Vanitas wouldn't even know to find him here. They didn't have mobile phones, they'd always known they were never too far away from each other, but now… he was well and truly _all_ _alone._ He didn't think his tears would ever stop falling, sitting there motionless in the dark, choking on his own sobs.

And that's how Vanitas had found him.

The front door banged open some hours later, Vanitas striding in like he owned the place; sharp, bare lighting from the hallway outside throwing his silhouette across the floor.

"Hey, cool! You got your own place!" Vanitas said excitedly, spotting Ventus against the far wall and already making his way over. He quickly flung the door closed behind him, the room once again swallowed up by the gloom. "I went around to yours and – "

His excitement short-lived, Vanitas had stopped dead, right in front of Ventus' outstretched legs.

"Hey. Are you… crying?"

Ventus kept staring at the wall opposite him, his tears still staining his cheeks.

" _Van…"_

Vanitas just stood there, silent, the darkness hiding his face. Ventus slowly rolled his head back to look up at him.

"He… didn't need me... but I needed _him_."

Shuddering in a breath, Ventus looked down at his hands, his fingers trembling as his grief and misery eclipsed all else.

"And now... _Now...!"_

He hadn't seen Vanitas move, but all of a sudden there were familiar arms around him, pulling him in close.

"And now you've got me." Vanitas finished for him, one of his hands soothingly sliding up and down Ventus' back while he held him tighter still. "You don't need him, Ventus. All you need is me." His voice was warm and low in Ventus' ear and Ventus shakily slid his arms around Vanitas' waist, the two of them curled up together against the wall. There was silence for a few moments, Ventus pushing his face into the crook of Vanitas' neck as his tears fell anew, soaking slowly into Vanitas' school shirt.

Vanitas had sighed quietly, but not in a nasty way. Gently, he began running his fingers through Ventus' unruly hair.

"Don't cry over him, Ven. He's not worth it."

Ventus just wearily shook his head, his exhaustion catching up to him as he sunk further into Vanitas' embrace. Settling them more comfortably, Vanitas rested his chin on top of Ventus' head, one of his hands still combing through his hair and massaging along his nape.

"If it helps, you're the only one I need too. So… forget that asshole. Alright?"

His mind blissfully falling blank, Ventus had allowed himself to drift off, finally finding some semblance of peace, cradled in Vanitas' arms.

Later that same evening, Ventus awoke to find himself lying flat on his back, spread out on the apartment's unforgiving, hardwood floor. The only light illuminating the gloom was from the minimal splash of faded orange fluorescence just outside the room's windows; faint sounds of the wind blowing outside and other people going about their lives on the streets below just managing to reach him.

"You're awake," said Vanitas to the left of him, and Ventus had started slightly, his memory of the afternoon only just returning.

"…What time is it?" He had asked hoarsely, his voice still rough with sleep.

"Doesn't matter." Vanitas murmured in return, his head gently bumping against Ventus'. It was only then that Ventus realised that Vanitas was lying on the floor beside him, their shoulders almost touching.

Groaning, his body stiff, Ventus rolled onto his side, trying to make out Vanitas' features in the dark. He watched Vanitas roll onto his side too, the dim light just catching his eyes. As Ventus lay there silently observing him, his emotions still curiously detached, Vanitas had raised one of his hands and placed it lightly against Ventus' cheek.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Ventus felt the warmth of Vanitas' palm seep into his frozen skin, long fingers just brushing along the ends of his hair. He swallowed thickly, his heartbeat fluttering in his chest. He glanced upwards and met Vanitas' eyes, their noses almost touching as his mind briefly registered how close they currently were to each other – of how intimate this position really was. He cleared his throat nervously.

"S-Sorta…" He whispered, feeling Vanitas' breath ghost over his lips. For once, he was thankful of the darkness. If Vanitas could see the colour of his face right now, or worse yet, read it in his expression, he was more than sure he would have been in trouble. Although he'd had time to come to terms with how much his feelings for Vanitas had changed, never had he considered acting on them, not when suggesting they become something more to each other could possibly mean jeopardising their long-held friendship. He didn't think he'd ever be prepared to lose what they had by taking such a risk, but sometimes, when Vanitas looked at him, he couldn't help but wonder...

Ventus' inner turmoil unbeknownst to him, Vanitas gave him a small smile and very slowly removed his hand, the rough pads of his fingers sliding along Ventus' jawline. Ventus just managed to stop himself from shivering.

"Come on, then," Vanitas said with more feeling. "Let's go throw rocks at cars – that always cheers you up."

It took a moment to register what Vanitas had actually said before Ventus unexpectedly burst out laughing. He rolled over onto his back again, holding his stomach as the empty room filled with his laughter. He didn't especially like throwing rocks at cars, but he knew for a fact that Vanitas loved it. All the same, he appreciated the sentiment; it was Vanitas' way of trying to cheer him up. The other boy obviously didn't realise, but even just having him here now when he'd woken up already had Ventus feeling a lot better.

Sobering, Ventus turned his head to the side to look at Vanitas again, giving him a slight, but genuine smile.

"Thanks… for being my friend, Van. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Still lying on his side facing him, Vanitas didn't say anything, his expression unreadable as he slowly studied Ventus' face. He seemed to be considering something, and whatever it was, it was making Ventus nervous. As he watched, Vanitas frowned at him before finally looking away. He rolled onto his back as well, his eyes locked on the ceiling. There was a pregnant pause as Ventus heard Vanitas huff out an irritated breath, his next words mumbled and unclear.

"I don't… want to be your _friend."_

Ventus blinked, his heart freezing in place. Had he… _heard_ that right?

"…What… What did you say?"

Vanitas still wouldn't look at him.

"I _said,_ I don't _just_ want to be your friend. I can't. Not anymore."

Still sore and stiff from sleeping on the floor, Ventus shakily pushed himself up into a seated position. He felt panic well in his chest, his throat closing over his words.

"W-What are you – !?"

Moving faster than him, the fierceness in his eyes catching in the dim light, Vanitas sat up too before grabbing the back of Ventus' neck and pulling him forwards.

Ventus squeaked as their lips met, his eyes fluttering closed on instinct, Vanitas tilting his head and slanting his mouth ever so slightly over his before hungrily pushing more into it.

When Vanitas finally pulled away, Ventus was left stunned and breathless, Vanitas' hand still resting on the back of his neck. He could clearly see Vanitas' face in the dark now, his eyes having adjusted, and Vanitas looked serious, but uncertain, his expression torn.

"It's not enough anymore…" He whispered onto Ventus' lips, gently pushing him to lay back down.

They were kissing again and Ventus was hesitantly participating, his pulse thrumming in his ears, his heart all but singing. He'd wanted this… for _so long_ now, he kind of thought he might be dreaming. But Vanitas' weight was settled on top of him and his hands were sliding through his hair, their lips pressing and tasting, tongues cautiously exploring. _Never_ , had he considered this a real possibility. He'd always known how much Vanitas depended on him as a friend _,_ but to be offered something more – something as perfect as this, was truly mind-blowing. He slid his hands around Vanitas' shoulders, his fingers pressing down along the indents of his spine. Vanitas arched into his touch and Ventus thrilled to feel it against him. This was all so new to him and already he knew he was addicted – this desperation to touch someone – this kind of _hunger._

" _Ven…"_ Vanitas whispered, panting quietly. "I want all of you. I want you to… only look at me." He leaned down and kissed him again and Ventus eagerly melted into it.

"It's only ever been you…" Ventus breathed, but Vanitas still looked unsure.

"I don't want to… ruin what we have, but… I can't help wanting you this way."

Still breathless, Ventus gave him a reassuring smile, his eyes soft with emotion.

"It's okay. I've wanted you too."

Vanitas smiled down at him like Ventus had just given him the world. He fondly brushed Ventus' bangs away from his eyes.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner? You're always leaving the first move up to me."

Suddenly on the spot, Ventus looked away and feigned annoyance, but nothing could stifle the grin on his face.

"I'm shy, alright?"

Vanitas laughed and swooped again, kissing Ventus like it was his new favourite thing. Ventus had to agree. It was fast becoming a favourite of his, as well.

"Can I… call you my boyfriend then?" Vanitas quietly asked after some time, rolling them to the side and pulling Ventus towards him. They now lay chest to chest, no space left between them.

Ventus grinned, bumping their foreheads together. He slung his arm over Vanitas' shoulders, fingers playing lightly with his hair.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Vanitas laughed and lightly squeezed Ventus' waist. " _Damn,_ I never thought I'd be this happy…"

Ventus just couldn't stop grinning. This new intimacy that had always lingered between them – this new stage in their relationship that only felt _right,_ made him feel like he was ready to take on any challenge that life threw at him and win. Finally, he held real hope that he could forget all of the bad stuff, just so long as Vanitas _always_ stayed by his side.

"Me neither," he whispered, pressing their lips together once more. Vanitas kissed him sweetly, only too happy to comply.

-0-

Ventus was lost.

After Vanitas had left him on his own and disappeared further into the depths of the yacht's interior, he'd stood there motionless, his mind falling carefully blank. The ensuing silence had seemed to press in on him, the gentle lull of the yacht rising and falling with the ocean causing him to sway slightly in place. Somehow, he'd managed to move on autopilot then, easily locating the separate bedroom Vanitas had mentioned to him. His fingers trembled around the door's handle as he opened it quietly and stepped inside. Without much thought he engaged the lock.

He couldn't be sure of the time now, but he'd sat on the edge of the bed for what seemed like hours, his hands resting neatly in his lap as he stared down at them, unseeing. It was dark outside, he knew that much at least, and still the silence almost made his ears ache with it, the shock of what had just transpired finally lifting, guilt and torment left in its wake.

He hadn't meant it – of course he hadn't, and yet, he'd still managed to speak those four hurtful words, and now he was left alone here, feeling sick to his stomach and _scared_ that he'd just ruined one of the best things he'd ever had in his life – _again._ Every fibre of his being was all but _screaming_ at him to somehow fix this, to just face the truth and accept that Vanitas was right… about _so_ _many things,_ and Ventus knew… He hadn't been able to be honest either... for too many years now, and the sheer guilt of that thought alone was only now threatening to be the end of him _._

Ventus wasn't sure of when he'd fallen backwards, but that was where he was now, arms splayed across the bed as he stared defeatedly up at the ceiling. With nothing to distract him, it wasn't hard to fall into the trap of thinking over everything he had enjoyed with Vanitas today, most damningly of how… carefree and happy the both of them had been together. Yes, he hadn't had anything to do with Vanitas for years, but to see him acting just like his old self had been so surprising it had completely caught him off guard. He'd almost forgotten they'd ever spent any time apart. What was six years of disconnect when he felt like he hadn't ever laughed like he had today in all that time since they had gone their separate ways? It had been… wonderful… and it was painful just thinking about it.

He remembered a time when things had been simpler, when they would curl up together in his cruddy, tiny apartment on a single futon to keep warm, Vanitas reeking of cheap cigarettes but holding him close and just carding his fingers through Ventus' hair. They would often talk about the future, a better one, of all the things they would achieve together, or so Ventus had _believed_ they would, and he _missed_ that, damn it. Missed that easy comfort between them. Felt almost robbed of it with the way their lives had diverged into such drastically different directions.

He'd worked so hard over the years to forget, to get on with his life and just put it all behind him. He'd tried to fill the emptiness Vanitas had left him with by preoccupying himself with other people – with his work, with his _father_ , but, ultimately, without Vanitas...

It was _always_ going to feel meaningless. And that right there, was what scared him the most.

There was a light breeze whistling its way around the yacht now, and Ventus, distracted in that moment, realised one of the bedroom's portholes was partly open. He rolled over slowly to look over at it, the wind changing direction as he listened, now flowing more freely into the room. He breathed it in, the fresh smell of the sea air only faintly tainted by the tell-tale scent of cigarette smoke.

As hard as it was, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't let it end like this.

Cautiously leaving the bedroom, Ventus made his way back outside and onto the rear deck where they had been enjoying their dinner just hours before. He was surprised briefly to find the table was completely clean, their half-finished meals and the rest of the untouched food all dutifully packed away. He glanced over the darkened water and just made out the glimmering lights of Vanitas' security boat, Namine no doubt on board over there after she'd quietly and efficiently tidied up after them. Everything else was silent and dark around him, a single wall-lamp in the interior lounge room the only light warding off the dead of night. It was eerie, but still peaceful in its own way, and Ventus felt strangely comforted, as if he'd finally regained some semblance of calm.

He found Vanitas sitting right at the very front of the yacht, his legs dangling over the side, arms resting up along the middle railing. From what Ventus could see in the partial light of the moon, Vanitas was only wearing a pair of shorts and nothing else, his pale skin and the splashes of his tattoos on his back and arms almost seeming to glow against the pitch black of the ocean stretching out endlessly in front of them.

Losing some of his nerve, Ventus just stood there for a moment collecting himself, unsure of how to approach him. As he watched, Vanitas flicked the butt of a cigarette out into the water before immediately reaching down beside himself to find another one. There was a click of a lighter, a brief burst of flame before whirls of smoke curled into the air, the light breeze already picking it up and whisking it away.

"How long are you planning on standing there? It's annoying."

Ventus only just managed not to jump as Vanitas' voice cut through the silence. Shuddering in a quiet breath he steeled himself before hesitantly walking forward. He didn't stop until he was right against the railing. Without a word he sat down beside Vanitas, a respectful enough distance between them, his legs also hanging down over the side. For a long time neither of them spoke and Ventus didn't feel the need to rush into it for once. The moon was only a waxing crescent, so the stars above were more than spectacular, the lack of light pollution out here really bringing out the sky in a way Ventus hadn't been able to enjoy for years. He glanced over at Vanitas, wondering if he was admiring them too, only for his heart to sink at what he saw. Vanitas was yet to look at him and instead was staring down into the inky depths of the water beneath them. Ventus looked as well, the complete, solid black of the ocean keeping its secrets and almost seeming to draw him in. It was hypnotising in a way, dark and deep, and nothing at all how it was like in the day time. More than anything, it was unsettling, especially when he realised how fixated Vanitas was with it. He wanted to make him stop, but he still didn't trust himself to speak just yet, still waiting for some sort of sign to tell him when it would be the right moment.

With an audible exhale, Vanitas finished what was left of his cigarette and stubbed it into the ashtray beside him. Ventus looked down and eyed the little ceramic bowl nervously, noticing it was near to overflowing. It was obvious then of how long Vanitas had been sitting out here on his own. Vanitas turned slightly away from him and reached down to his other side, producing a small silver flask. He unscrewed the cap and tilted it towards his lips, taking a long drink. After a pause, perhaps a moment of uncertainty, he then held it out between them, offering it to Ventus.

Without a word, Ventus took it and brought it to his lips. It was whiskey and its strength instantly cut a path down his throat, settling low and warm in his stomach. He passed it back to Vanitas who took another quick sip before recapping it and putting it down, but this time, he placed it between the two of them. Ventus had barely turned his attention back up to the stars before Vanitas was already lighting yet another cigarette. The silence no longer felt comfortable, and Ventus knew it would have to be himself who spoke first. He hunched his shoulders, feeling unsure all over again as he stared back down into the water.

"How did... we end up like this?" He managed to force out, his words barely above a whisper. "...Was it really just me who thought we'd graduate school and end up going to university together? I would… study to be a teacher, and you would do something wildly complicated like astrophysics or chemical engineering. You were always smarter than me… I knew school was boring to you." He shrugged stiffly, a nervous, sad smile on his face. "But then, in a couple of years, we'd have enough saved to get a nice place together… and a TV." Ventus breathed a laugh as he trailed off, but it definitely sounded out of place. Vanitas still hadn't looked at him, now staring out straight ahead, his cigarette dangling from his lips as he listened. Ventus waited for some sort of response, but as no reply came, he quickly felt foolish for saying anything at all. It was obvious the last thing Vanitas wanted right now was to reminisce about the easy life they _could_ have shared. Ventus sighed heavily, already wondering if there was any point in saying anything more.

"That… was never going to be us, was it?" He finished, something like resignation in his voice. "It was never going to happen like that."

Vanitas exhaled harshly through his nose, his shoulders rising as he half curled in on himself. He still stared straight ahead, but after a long pause he answered, his quiet words spoken to the sea.

"One night… when I was coming over to yours after work… there was this guy on the street getting robbed. At least… that's what they wanted me to think, but the whole thing was a set-up."

Ventus' eyes widened, his entire body going still. Vanitas, unhurried, continued.

"A couple of weeks earlier, this _punk_ tried to sell me some crack right outside of a _highschool._ I decked him clean across the face. I didn't know he was Yakuza… until these two idiots tried to roll me for it – as payback."

Vanitas paused, his lit cigarette now resting in his lap between the fingers of both hands. He idly rolled it back and forth as he spoke, the end still faintly glowing.

"I didn't think, I just went to help this guy pinned up against the wall. As soon as I was close enough they both turned on me. I was surprised, but fighting's easy. I held my own until one of them pulled out a gun."

So engrossed in Vanitas' story, Ventus was now partially turned towards him, one of his hands grasping hard at the metal railing. "How… How come I've never heard this…?"

Vanitas just smiled to himself instead of answering. He cocked an imaginary gun with one hand, his pointer and middle finger both jammed up hard underneath his chin.

"He holds it right here and shakes me – asks me what I have to fight for? Tells me they've been watching me for weeks, living off instant ramen and cigarettes." Vanitas scoffed, dropping his hand back into his lap. "Says he'll put two bullets in my head right now if I can't give him a good enough reason not to..." He barked out a laugh which startled Ventus, his fingers back to fiddling with the now extinguished cigarette, his eyes faraway. "I spat in his face. He didn't even hesitate – punched me right in the mouth with the butt of the gun."

Ventus gasped. "I remember you coming over with bruises on your face! You… You told me you got into a fight with a drunk!"

Vanitas snorted and tiredly rolled his eyes. He paused and shifted where he sat, his expression changing into something that almost seemed guilty.

"I couldn't tell you what really happened because… after he punched me he said – Do you _want_ a reason? You're strong. The boss would definitely like you. Regular work, great money, and… family."

Ventus sat up a little straighter, realising where this was going. Vanitas finally looked at him and Ventus was caught by the intensity in his eyes.

"If you're loyal, you can belong. Life… can be easier. We were once like you, too."

Vanitas looked away again, effectively releasing him, and Ventus swallowed hard. He was afraid of hearing any more, but he already knew he couldn't help himself. Here, Vanitas was sharing something with him he never even imagined they'd ever be talking about, let alone Vanitas being so candid. He realised suddenly that no one else would have heard any of this either and honestly didn't know how he felt about that.

"Why are you telling me all this?" He murmured, his lips barely moving.

Vanitas shrugged, busying himself with retrieving another cigarette from the pack down beside him. He didn't light it though, once again rolling it back and forth between his fingers. "Because… I need you to know." He answered quietly.

Ventus said nothing. He waited for Vanitas to continue.

"Apart from you… I've never had a family. I didn't realise how much I wanted it until it was being dangled right there in front of me. They left me to think about it, but it wasn't long till I went looking for them."

"I knew what I was getting myself into, I can't deny that," Vanitas breathed, lifting a hand to scratch minutely at his cheek before he settled the cigarette between his lips. "I started out just debt-collecting – standover tactics, roughing junkies up, that kind of low-level shit. I honestly hated it to begin with… but then the first time I got paid… it was more money than I'd ever seen in my life. I thought – this is great! ...This is gonna pay off. I'd finally be able to get us out of the slums. I'd pay for you to go to uni, buy us food we'd never had before... and a stupid TV."

Ventus didn't smile. He bunched the fabric of his pants between his fingers as Vanitas paused to light his cigarette. The lighter clicked off and Vanitas inhaled deeply, the smoke billowing outwards briefly as he forcefully exhaled. He looked more or less like a kicked dog in that moment, and Ventus hated seeing it.

"But I… I knew by choosing this path, it wouldn't ever be something you wanted to be involved in. But by the time I realised that, I already couldn't stop. I won't lie to you, Ventus, I liked the power, the freedom it gave me." Vanitas clenched his hands into fists in his lap, his mouth set into a thin, hard line around his cigarette. " _Finally_ , I felt like I was winning against the system that had screwed me over my _entire_ life."

Ventus' chest ached at just hearing that. He knew what Vanitas meant, knew exactly what he was feeling. Growing up had never been easy for the both of them, but more so for Vanitas. Reluctantly, he was beginning to understand.

"One day, we had special orders. The underboss I worked for directly had gotten a tip-off about a large shipment of cocaine that was coming in from overseas for a rival family. Our Oyabun, Xehanort was interested, which at the time seemed strange to me. Xehanort was never a man to involve himself directly, so once we knew our orders were coming straight from the top, there was a lot of pressure on us not mess it up."

Ventus breathed in sharply, surprised to hear Xehanort being mentioned by name. He'd only ever briefly read about Vanitas' adoptive father, so he couldn't help feeling curious in knowing more about him. The way Vanitas spoke of Xehanort made it seem like the two of them ever meeting would have been impossible, but somehow, it had still happened. It was easy to imagine how such a man would have fed into Vanitas' insecurities, but how had the instance of Vanitas' adoption even come about in the first place? From the pictures Ventus had seen of Xehanort, and the things he'd read about him, the ruthless, former leader of the Ishi-kai didn't exactly strike him as someone who was very paternal.

"The plan was to seize the shipment by force," Vanitas went on, pulling Ventus back into focus. "If we managed to succeed we would _all_ go up in rank. My boss… I knew the pressure was getting to him. I saw my chance and took it. I challenged him in front of the others and he accused me of insubordination. But the boys and I, we were all sick of him by this point. The others pledged their loyalty to me, and I easily took his place."

Vanitas absently thumped the heel of one of his feet against the hull of the yacht, the dull resounding sound startling, and Ventus felt a shiver race up his spine that had nothing to do with the coolish breeze. He felt like something had just gone unspoken there, realising what 'taking someone's place' in the Yakuza really meant.

"Under my command, seizing the shipment was a cakewalk," Vanitas scoffed. "But… I had miscalculated how large the haul would actually be and found myself with nowhere secure enough to stash it. I had to... wait for the heat to die down a bit before we moved it on, too."

Vanitas paused to stub the last of his cigarette and the realisation for Ventus hit him all at once. This wasn't just some pointless origin story. He watched Vanitas swallow thickly, saw the slight tremor to his hands.

"The first place I thought of as the safest was… yours."

They had come full circle. The blocks of cocaine stashed in his ceiling all those years ago suddenly had their backstory. Ventus immediately felt himself go on the defensive, even as years of exhaustion and hurt seemed to catch up with him in that moment. He didn't need to hear this after all. He didn't need the reminder of how 'useful' Vanitas had found him in the end.

"Vanitas." Ventus shook his head. "I don't…"

"Let me finish." Vanitas quietly interrupted him, and Ventus fell silent again as he was reminded of their school days, when Vanitas would sit in the exact same way, forcing out some mumbled apology. He could never look at Ventus when he knew he was in the wrong and this time seemed no different, Vanitas' hands fumbling with the lid of the flask as he hastily took another drink. His eyes still locked to Vanitas' face, Ventus reached for the flask as Vanitas lowered it, their fingers brushing minutely. He quickly took a short drink of his own, the burn of the whiskey grounding him.

"I used you. I really did. I knew the kind of danger I was putting you in and I still did it anyway." Vanitas turned to face Ventus, but he still wouldn't meet his eyes. Ventus waited, a hard lump lodged in his throat. Vanitas' eyes finally lifted, and Ventus' first thought was that this wasn't at all fair. Vanitas had no right in looking so devastated.

"Somewhere along the line… I'd forgotten why I was even doing it all in the first place."

Ventus fought himself from reaching out, his hand unbeknowingly shifting along the deck, inching closer to Vanitas as they held each other's gaze. Never in his life had he felt tested like this, but no matter how remorseful Vanitas was now, an apology would only go so far.

Ventus was the first to look away, his arms crossing protectively over his chest, closing himself off. He knew his emotions were getting the better of him, the pained look in Vanitas' eyes burned into his mind.

Beside him, Vanitas sighed heavily and scrubbed a weary hand through his hair. Ventus briefly wondered what the hour was now, his phone left somewhere downstairs. They were both obviously beyond exhausted, but he knew without a doubt there would be no other chances to settle things after this. They would either find closure here and now, or _none_ at all.

"After… everything was over, the next thing I know I'm being summoned by Xehanort himself," Vanitas continued, his voice breaking through the lingering tension. "For a low-level grunter like me, meeting the Oyabun personally is near unheard of."

Ventus raised his eyebrows at that but didn't speak, more than thankful for the curve in conversation.

"He tells everyone in the room to leave before pulling out one of the blocks of cocaine; cuts it open right in front of me. The powder goes to waste all over the floor and left in his hand instead was a tiny, plastic bag."

"A plastic bag?" Ventus interrupted, squinting his eyes in thought. Vanitas nodded, giving Ventus a dry smile.

"He'd never wanted the coke, except for what he'd known was hidden inside each block: 100 grams of pure Adamantite."

"Ada… Adamantite..?" Ventus murmured, surprised to find he knew exactly what it was. "But that's –"

"–Extremely rare, and near impossible to source. It's used in synthesis – for creating chemical weaponry." Still that same dry smile on his face, Vanitas leaned forwards and rested his forearms against the middle railing. "It's worth _millions_. Without even realising it, I had successfully made Xehanort a very rich man."

"I don't think that's really something to be proud of." Ventus huffed, giving Vanitas an unimpressed look. Vanitas just breathed out a laugh. He looked up at the stars still high above them, his expression strangely fond.

"He… favoured me from then on. And in some… twisted way, I eventually came to see him as my real father. I wouldn't be where I am now without him."

Ventus knew it was unorthodox, but there was a very big part of him that was happy that Vanitas had found someone who had been like a father to him. Even if that man didn't exactly have the best of reputations. Considering his most recent revelation about his own parentage, it was nice to think that at least one of them had experienced some semblance of a genuine family. Ventus could never fault Vanitas for wanting that, especially when he had been just as desperate to find the same.

Dismissing the stars, Vanitas slouched down further against the railing, his face now half hidden by his folded arms.

"Despite that, it… wasn't ever easy. I questioned myself a lot after you left me. But it was already too late. You don't just _leave_ the Ishi-kai. I… don't remember a lot around that time. You leaving was like losing my conscience. And even then it wasn't enough to wake me up."

Vanitas pushed himself upright again, his words gaining momentum, his voice stronger.

"Those things you've read about me… A lot of it is true. I'm not a good person. I've done things that would make your skin crawl. But when I overthrew Braig and then Xemnas, and finally became the Oyabun, I thought, who better to lead these men but me? I _am_ a monster… but all the people I've killed have been scum anyway. And my men. Some of them truly _are_ demons, but they can't act on their own. I keep the Ishi-kai in line. I keep order."

Ventus narrowed his eyes. "Careful. Your ego is showing."

The overly confident air to Vanitas' words wasn't to last. He barked out a short, bitter laugh, staring down at his hands. "Since I've already lost you again I might as well tell you everything." He looked at Ventus and his eyes were fond; his expression soft yet sad.

"Through it all, the only thing that kept me going… was maybe a chance to see you again one day. I always thought… if I found you happy… that would be enough for me, but I already knew, deep down, that was a lie. When you stood in front of me that day, after six, _endless_ years, with your _snivelling_ father ruining your life all over again, my mind was made up. Even if you didn't love me anymore… I wanted you to remember… what it was like to be with me."

"It –" Ventus began before breaking off to cough, his throat unexpectedly dry. "I... could never really forget. Even though… things are different now."

Vanitas tilted his head in thought. "Maybe a lot of things _are_ different for us now, but… I'm glad our paths crossed again. I won't say it hasn't been… _hard,_ but there's also been some… memorable moments."

"I guess I can't argue with that." Ventus agreed, matching Vanitas' smile.

"I'm sorry, Ventus."

Ventus instinctively held his breath, Vanitas' sudden apology more than little unexpected. It went without saying that this was something he'd never thought he'd be hearing. Vanitas just calmly watched him.

"I really am. For everything I've put you through. It sounds like you were happy in Kyoto. I didn't exactly _think_ about how I was…" He broke off sharply, shaking his head. He couldn't look at Ventus any longer. "It doesn't matter. Not anymore anyway. Just know that I am. And I mean it."

Sorry was such a simple word, and yet, to Ventus, it meant so _much._ It was in that moment that he wondered if this was what closure felt like. His heart was beating much too quickly. It felt amazing. It felt like _freedom._ Even so, he still couldn't let Vanitas be too harsh on himself.

"Thank you, but... I think you're taking too much credit here. My… My father should shoulder some of that, too. If not for him… all of this would never have happened."

Glancing at him, Vanitas only scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That's the only good your father ever did – bringing you back to me. If he hadn't said your name I would have painted the walls with his insides." He busied himself with his flask again, unscrewing the cap with stiff movements. "I _still_ want to."

Ventus frowned, something about what Vanitas had said sounding off.

"What do you mean… he said my name?"

Vanitas immediately went very still. _"Shit…"_ He breathed, his hands locking around the flask. He looked uncomfortable, as if he'd said too much.

"What do you mean he said my name?" Ventus repeated, his unease at Vanitas' reaction only growing worse as he continued to remain silent. Finally, Vanitas turned and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Are you sure… you want to know?"

"Tell me…" Ventus whispered.

With something like weary resignation, Vanitas placed the flask back down by his side and reached for his cigarettes instead. Without a word he offered one to Ventus. Nervous, Ventus took one. Vanitas clicked open his lighter and held the open flame out for him. He waited patiently while Ventus drew in a careful breath before shakily letting it out. With it having been years since Ventus last smoked, the headrush was almost instantaneous, the strong woody flavour of the tobacco lingering on his tongue.

"Your father… never owed me money, Ventus. He traded your life in exchange for his."

There was a beat of silence between them. Nothing but the gentle sounds of the ocean breaking it.

Ventus just stared, the cigarette lax within his grip. It felt like his brain had short-circuited. "I don't… I don't get what you mean. I don't understand."

"Your father was dragged before me for disrespecting the Ishi-kai down at a bar in one of our known territories. He was just another useless drunk. As an example, I was going to end him personally."

Ventus would have been horrified about how blasé Vanitas was about killing people if he hadn't been so engrossed in hearing more of the story. He was still confused beyond reason, Vanitas' words only barely registering.

"So, there we were," Vanitas began, leaning back on his hands and tilting his face towards the sky. "He was on the ground at my feet begging for mercy, blubbering all manner of ridiculous things. I think I made some off-hand joke about how he was going to make a mess of my carpet but he just _wouldn't_ shut _up_. He offered me money and I laughed. As if that could sway me." He shrugged, a casual smirk creeping onto his face as he relished reliving it. "I was feeling cruel. I said, fine. If you can bring me two million by the end of the week I'll spare your life. But if you can't, I'll kill you _and_ your entire family. You should've seen his face. He knew he was screwed, and now I was threatening to kill everyone he loved too."

Vanitas laughed and Ventus flinched, the cigarette jolted from between his fingers. He didn't even notice it rolling off the deck and into the water.

"Then… his face changed. He looked hopeful." Vanitas went on, sobering. "Ven, he says, _Ventus_ will help me. He _owes_ me…"

Ventus felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His throat felt tight, a wave of nausea settling over him. He could almost hear his father's voice saying those _exact_ words.

"I heard him say your name and thought… it couldn't be. What were the odds? I had never known what your father looked like… but I did know his last name: 'Fujin'."

Vanitas sneered. He leaned forwards again and crossed his arms. "I know I was shocked. I barely dared to believe it. He must have read it on my face – put two and two together. He said if I let him live he would bring you to me. If I had some unfinished business with you, I could finish it."

Ventus was left reeling. "But…! When I… begged you not to kill him, he –!"

" _Yes_ , he called out to you. I _know._ " Vanitas snorted. "Must have had a change of heart. How touching. Either that or he thought I was still going to kill him regardless." He pointed at Ventus, his expression grim. "That doesn't change the fact that it was entirely his fault you were in that situation in the first place. He used your life as a bargaining chip. He couldn't have known I wasn't going to kill you and he didn't care at all. He just wanted to save himself."

All Ventus could hear was heavy, uneven breathing. It took him a second to realise it was actually coming from him. Trying to calm himself down enough to speak was almost an impossible feat, his palms sweaty as he lifted his hands and anchored them around the metal railing.

"What if I never agreed to help him? If – If I didn't get the money?"

He knew he sounded ridiculously hopeful but he couldn't help it. His mind was still racing, still trying to comprehend. Vanitas just gave him a pitying look.

"He told me where you lived. If you didn't come through with the money I could have still found you. You really think I'd let just anyone pay me a debt a day late? You gotta be joking."

His body falling forwards of its own accord, Ventus covered his face with his hands and pressed his forehead to the railing. He could feel himself shaking. Beside him, Vanitas remained silent.

"I thought… he was finally acknowledging me. But. He _never_ … It was a lie from the very beginning."

It hurt. It hurt _a lot_. Every time Ventus convinced himself he was finally moving past all of this pain the universe cruelly had to remind him. He blinked and watched his vision blur, his eyes damp as he squeezed them shut again. He shuddered in a breath, trying to steady himself, just as a warm hand threaded its way into his hair. The sudden touch startled him, his shoulders rising sharply.

"...You don't need him, Ventus. You never have. You've always been strong without him."

Allowing Vanitas' hand to stay there, Ventus didn't press himself to answer as he slowly got himself back under control. Vanitas waited, the barely there scrape of his fingernails against Ventus' scalp remarkably soothing.

 _That's not true…_ was Ventus' first thought, all too aware of Vanitas beside him, his warm, solid presence something he needed right then. Maybe, at times, he had thought himself strong… but that was only because he _had_ to be. If he'd only ever held onto the hope that his father would once again treat him like a son one day, just like he _used_ to – if he hadn't stood on his own two feet – where would he have ended up? And _Vanitas_ – _God._ Without Vanitas with him, the only one who had made him feel like he was worth anything – made him feel worthy of being _loved,_ what type of person would he have become without _him,_ most of _all?_

Wiping the last of the moisture from his eyes, Ventus uncovered his face and sat upright again. Slowly, he shook his head.

"No… I was only strong… because _you_ were there."

Sighing, Vanitas leaned away and gently untangled his fingers from Ventus' hair. "You think that, but… you've never needed me either. I don't know why you put up with me for as long as you did. I think a part of me always knew... you'd leave me eventually."

Ventus stared over at him, almost in disbelief.

"...That's my line."

Vanitas didn't say anything. He did look at Ventus though, his expression tired but questioning.

Ventus paused for a moment, knowing it was probably time for him to be more honest too. That didn't mean it was easy, though.

"When I… found all _that_... in the roof. I was actually relieved. For the longest time… I thought you were cheating on me."

Vanitas looked at him like he'd just spoken a foreign language. "Ventus. I would never cheat on you. That's stupid."

"We always told each other everything, so when you started your 'new job' I knew something wasn't right!" Ventus rushed on, desperate to explain himself. "You were out at all hours and you wouldn't look me in the eyes when I questioned you. I thought you'd found someone else. I thought... it was only a matter of time before _you_ left _me_." He fiddled with the bottom hem of his t-shirt, too nervous to gauge Vanitas' reaction to what he was about to say next.

"And you were right, about... me leaving you. I didn't think it through. I was angry. I decided I wasn't going to wait around for you to throw me away – _I_ would be the one to leave _you_ first. But then I found the drugs and it was too late. I'd already transferred to Kyoto… spoken to my _father._ As soon as I walked out that door I regret it. I… I knew what it would do to you, leaving like that, but… I was _so_ angry. I just wanted to punish you for lying to me."

"Either way you look at it, it's still my fault then." Vanitas murmured, his shoulders held stiff.

Ventus shook his head, silently cursing his weakness. He just needed Vanitas to understand. Folding in on himself he rested his forehead back against the metal railing.

"I was just scared. Because… everyone leaves. My _mum…_ my _father…_ anyone I ever cared about _always_ leaves me. You think I'm strong. I'm just a coward. If I'd stayed, maybe we would have been able to work through it. But I… I _ruined_ it. At the first hint of trouble I ran. I never gave us a chance."

At that, Vanitas moved closer. He tried to catch Ventus' eye, but Ventus wouldn't look at him. "You can't say that. There's no point in blaming yourself for making a hard choice that _I_ pushed you into in the first place."

Ventus turned his head to the side, only to find Vanitas mirroring him, resting his head against the railing as well. As their eyes met, his mumbled words left him all in a rush. "But I… I made out it was _all_ your fault… even though, _maybe_... if I'd been offered the opportunity to give us a better life... I might have joined the Yakuza too."

They both silently regarded each other, the weight of Ventus' words slowly sinking in. Neither of them moved, now sitting so close together the flask and ashtray were nearly sandwiched in between them. Vanitas smiled softly, a small, amused sound breathing past his lips.

"I _knew_ you were stubborn. I'm glad I was persistent or I wouldn't be hearing any of this."

"More like obsessive…" Ventus scoffed, but he was smiling too.

Vanitas flat-out grinned, the tension between them broken. "But I think… you kind of like me that way. You always have…"

Ventus laughed shortly as he sat up straight again, his amusement short lived as he still remembered there was more to say. Vanitas followed him, watching him closely. It was like they were both silently wondering now… Where would they go from here?

"I didn't mean it… what I said. At… At dinner." Ventus whispered, holding Vanitas' gaze. "When I said I… didn't…"

"I know." Vanitas whispered back, serious all over again. "But I'm not going to force you anymore."

Ventus gasped quietly as Vanitas placed his hand over his, squeezing his fingers lightly.

"Do you really think… we wouldn't work?"

Ventus searched Vanitas face, still struggling with an answer. It was right there, he knew it was. He just had to get the words out. Vanitas lifted his hand away only to slide it underneath Ventus' palm. Without a word he gently interlaced their fingers and Ventus didn't hesitate in squeezing back this time. He felt lighter somehow, like finally having everything out in the open had lifted some great weight off his chest.

"If you can't be with me, you better leave Tokyo." Vanitas murmured, his eyes never leaving their interlaced hands. "I'll give you back that money so you can pay off your debts. If you stay… If I see you with someone else... I just can't. I don't want to see you with anyone else. I have no self-control when it comes to you."

"Like I haven't noticed…" Ventus mumbled, but Vanitas didn't smile. He was still waiting for an answer.

"I couldn't go back. Not now." Ventus sighed, bumping their shoulders together. "Kyoto was a great place to live, but… those six years without you. I wasn't happy. I thought I was, until I saw you that day. As soon as I saw you… even though you looked so cold and distant, I finally felt like…"

"Like, what...?"

"Like I was… _whole_ again."

The sky above was just beginning to lighten, all of the stars fading out with the oncoming rise of the sun. Ventus leaned into Vanitas' side, giving his answer to the horizon.

"Do you… want to try again?"

Vanitas went _very_ still. Slowly, he turned to look down at Ventus, searching his face almost desperately.

"I'll be Yakuza till the day I die, Ventus. I can't… I can't change that." He looked sad, regretful, as if he somehow thought Ventus had forgotten that.

And Ventus thought, _this_ is what he would have looked like that night he'd left – the regret and guilt, the torment and... _heartbreak_. He wasn't prepared for Ventus to reject him again, but here he was – giving him an ultimatum anyway. Ventus smiled, equal parts sad yet elated, but all in all, still honest. He had made his choice.

"I know you can't. But you'll always just be _'Van'_ to me."

He leaned forwards, lightly brushing his fingers along Vanitas' cheek, closing the gap between them.

Hands trembling, Vanitas gently framed his face as they kissed, their lips fitting so perfectly, breaths intermingling. Ventus had already closed his eyes and lost himself in a feeling he'd ultimately thought lost to him. This soaring, _wonderful_ emotion as he finally let himself go. Everything was alright, everything was going to be okay. As long as Vanitas was _always_ by his side.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Okay. If anyone has read any of my other fics, it shouldn't come as a hooge surprise then when I say this chapter has a fair bit of sexual content in it. How sexy is consent, though? :D This whole chapter is also soft af, with lots of feelings, cause I needed some of that in my life.  
This is the final chapter, BUT I'll be posting a rather in-depth epilogue which should wrap everything up nicely. Thanks guys, enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Five.**

The world all around them slowly brightening and the last of the night's insecurities fading along with it, Ventus barely noticed things becoming visible around them as he and Vanitas got lost in finding each other again. It was different, and not at all unwelcome to experience this kind of intimacy between them with none of the pressure from their previous interactions, and Ventus felt almost drunk on it, suddenly allowing himself to enjoy Vanitas' hands on him without feeling the urge to pull away. Vanitas tasted like whiskey, like so many cigarettes, and yet, Ventus couldn't have possibly imagined him tasting any other way, one of his hands clenched into the fabric of Vanitas' shorts along his thigh, his other resting on the back of Vanitas' neck as they both felt the pull to be closer. Vanitas had curled one of his arms around Ventus' waist, the other wandering along the hem of his t-shirt and Ventus _loved_ how awkward their positioning was, knowing that they both knew it, and yet he couldn't spare a single moment long enough away from Vanitas' lips to fix it. Vanitas lightly bit at his bottom lip before pressing forwards again and Ventus melted against him, his panted breaths coming short and fast. Vanitas' hand finally wandered underneath his shirt and Ventus couldn't help letting out a shaky gasp; desire, hot and heavy, curling its way through him.

"Too… too fast…?" Vanitas questioned him quietly, just as out of breath, his hand going still, palm pressed flat against Ventus' stomach.

Ventus shook his head minutely before closing his eyes again and leaning back in for another kiss. It was gentle, almost too sweet with how carefully they were exploring each other and Ventus felt impatient all of a sudden, Vanitas' obvious nervousness bleeding through. He was holding back, and Ventus didn't like thinking about that, wondering if Vanitas was treating him like something fragile, as if he was still unsure of this – or worse yet, unsure of _Ventus himself_.

Frustrated, Ventus broke free of Vanitas' hold on him and in one swift movement had gotten his legs free of the railing. Grabbing Vanitas' shoulder, he smoothly resettled himself down in his lap. Taken by surprise, Vanitas' hands hovered in the air beside Ventus' hips, his eyes wide. Ventus couldn't help but laugh and it was amazing to hear it, to _feel_ it, swelling in his chest and bubbling passed his lips.

"Much better," he murmured, sliding both of his hands into Vanitas' hair, just as Vanitas recovered enough to let his own hands fall down onto Ventus' thighs. He squeezed and shifted them higher, strong, sure fingers pressing along his skin and curving around Ventus' hips. The warm feeling of Vanitas' hands trailing up his sides had Ventus shivering, his fingernails scratching along Vanitas' scalp as their lips lightly brushed together again. Vanitas groaned, his hands riding up Ventus' shirt and tight around his waist. Ventus wondered how he ever lived without this, without the feeling of Vanitas' skin beneath his fingertips, the sound of his own heart beating in his ears almost foreign; new and exciting. Vanitas sharply dragged him forwards and Ventus gasped, swallowing Vanitas' answering moan as their hips pressed closer together. Ventus pulled away slightly just to breathe, Vanitas panting into his mouth, heating the air between them. _It wasn't enough,_ Ventus thought, all too aware of the layers of clothing separating them, his arms casually looped around Vanitas' neck. He allowed his hands to wander, fingers pressing down along the bare expanse of Vanitas' back, tracing over toned muscles and old scars alike.

 _"Van…"_ Ventus whispered, and Vanitas slowly peeked his eyes open to look at him. Grinding his hips down with more purpose, Ventus drank in Vanitas' wrecked expression and licked his lips in anticipation, a more pressing urgency taking him over.

"I… I _want…"_

Vanitas closed his eyes again and groaned, loud and long. Just hearing it had Ventus shivering.

Removing a hand from Ventus' waist, Vanitas roughly dragged his fingers through Ventus' hair before closing his fist and pulling. Tilting Ventus' head to the side, he wasted no time in leaning forwards, hungrily pressing open-mouthed kisses along his neck. Ventus couldn't help the quiet whimper that escaped him as Vanitas gently sucked at the sensitive skin behind his ear. He rolled his hips again and Vanitas met him halfway, a more pleasurable rhythm building.

"Come on. Up." Vanitas breathed, settling his hands on Ventus' waist again and encouraging him to move. Ventus pushed himself to standing on trembling legs and watched as Vanitas scooted backwards. He twisted and reached behind him, lifting open a glass hatch that was wide enough to fit through.

"Through here." Swinging his legs over the edge of the opening, Vanitas boosted himself and fell through, disappearing into the room below. Without a second's hesitation, Ventus followed him. It wasn't a long drop by any means, but Vanitas was still there waiting, catching him around the waist. As Vanitas steadied him, Ventus held onto Vanitas' shoulders as he looked around the room they were now in. Being at the front of the yacht, Ventus could only assume this was Vanitas' private bedroom. It was a large enough room and very comfortable looking, tastefully decorated in black and red accents with the bed itself directly beneath them. The blinds covering the windows were all drawn, but with the sun slowly rising, there was more than enough light filtering in. Ventus looked back at Vanitas and laughed a little, breathless and still slightly amazed this was even happening. Vanitas just grinned at him, his fingers gently playing along Ventus' sides as he leaned in to kiss him again.

It was a beautiful thing losing time like this, in soft, sure touches and long, languid kisses. The secluded confines of Vanitas' room were far more inviting than the deck above them and Ventus finally felt Vanitas relax, the tension leaving his body as they melted more fully against each other. Ventus was content in savouring this moment, of wanting to remember every second of their reunion, and yet, still felt overcome with such a fervent need to just let go and indulge in something he'd been denying himself for so, _so_ long. He wanted Vanitas to know he wasn't unsure of this, that there was no lingering doubt waiting to surface, only to tear them apart again. At the very least, he needed to show Vanitas just how much he had _missed_ him. How much finding each other and making it work meant to him. If they really wanted to, if there was a chance, they could have _all_ the time in the world.

"Lie down." Ventus murmured, pressing one last kiss to Vanitas' lips before pulling away to tug off his shirt.

Vanitas, as subtle as always, couldn't help himself in raking his eyes down Ventus' bare chest, his lips lazily curling into an all too familiar smirk.

"Bossy," was all he said before he was swiftly falling backwards on the bed, bouncing a little with the momentum. A number of soft looking pillows now cradled his head and shoulders, his arms slightly thrown out from his sides.

Ventus took a moment just to drink him in. The sheer, silken black of Vanitas' bedsheets was the perfect canvas to illuminate his pale skin, the tattoos on his chest and shoulders still bold and prominent in the half-light, shifting like rippling water with every gentle rise and fall of Vanitas' chest. His hair was a fantastic mess from having Ventus' fingers tangled through it, and his eyes were bright and earnest, his smile still sharp. Ventus bit at the side of his lip, his eyes wandering further down to where Vanitas was still so obviously hard. Just the sight of him lying there waiting had Ventus roughly clearing his throat, his hands already fumbling with stripping off his shorts. He grinned down at Vanitas, falling to his knees before crawling forwards to straddle his hips.

"What, you thought that would change?"

Vanitas just hummed in answer, dragging Ventus down by the back of his neck. They kissed with more fervour, the urgency to be closer now more tangible. Vanitas tilted his head and pushed his tongue passed Ventus' lips, their hips grinding and rocking with such delicious friction. Vanitas made a low sound borne of frustration, his hands leaving Ventus' thighs to pull sharply at the zipper on his own pants. Following his lead, Ventus rolled his hips back to do the same, his fingers trembling as he pulled himself free of his boxer-briefs.

There was a rush of uncoordinated hands pushing any and all offending fabric out of the way, Ventus panting into Vanitas' mouth as their eyes met, half-lidded and blissfully dazed. Ventus couldn't help the little gasps and moans of pleasure that escaped him as Vanitas took them both into his hands and stroked them, Ventus' hips jerking with the motion. The simple slide of skin on heated skin was _exactly_ what he'd been craving.

Vanitas took his time rendering Ventus an unholy mess, his smooth strokes firm, yet slow, his other hand slowly exploring, trailing its way down the indents in Ventus' spine. Ventus scratched his nails along Vanitas' scalp, panting wetly into the side of his neck, lingering kisses left wherever he could reach. Ventus sucked Vanitas' earlobe into his mouth, his teeth tugging at the gold earring there, and Vanitas' breath hitched, right when his hand trailing down Ventus' back slipped lower still, over the curve of his ass. His fingers pressed in deeper, playing over sensitive skin through the soft fabric of Ventus' boxer-briefs, his last item of clothing barely still clinging to him.

At the intimate touch, Ventus squeezed his eyes shut tight and gasped out a quiet moan. He arched his back just enough, wordlessly asking for more. Vanitas began circling his fingers, gently massaging him, and Ventus whimpered as he was stimulated from both sides. Vanitas shifted against him, turning his head to lightly sink his teeth into the junction of Ventus' neck and shoulder. Ventus shivered hard, one of his hands clutching at the pillow beside Vanitas' head. It was all so _much,_ but now he wanted _more._

"L-Lube… _Van…_ "

"In the drawer, to your left." Vanitas answered him, his voice strained in Ventus' ear.

Sitting up, Ventus reluctantly removed himself from Vanitas' lap before reaching for the drawer in question and retrieving what they needed. Beside him, Vanitas shimmied his pants all the way off and threw them on the floor. Ventus lifted himself to his knees and did the same, abandoning his to the floor, as well. Ventus quickly resettled himself down on top of Vanitas, handing him the small tube. The fact that they were now both _very_ naked hadn't exactly escaped his notice, and Ventus felt the beginnings of a self-conscious flush creeping its way up the back of his neck. Vanitas himself didn't seem fazed in the slightest, as if Ventus sitting in his lap like this was the most natural thing in the world. The more Ventus thought about it, he supposed it really _was_ natural for them. Even if the years had unfairly made them virtual strangers, Ventus couldn't deny how _right_ it felt being here with Vanitas warm and familiar beneath him. He squeezed his thighs tighter around Vanitas' hips, just savouring the feeling of being young and in love.

There was a muted click of the cap opening before Vanitas was liberally coating his fingers, his hands already reaching down between them again. The slick glide against heated skin was like heaven to Ventus, Vanitas pumping them with more rhythm, more intent, his other hand skimming around Ventus' hip. His fingers pressed in just enough, pushing minutely passed his rim. Ventus arched into Vanitas' touch, pressing himself down, begging for more, but Vanitas only continued teasing him. He leaned forwards to run his warm, wet tongue over Ventus' hardening nipples.

"Ven?"

"Mm?" Ventus gasped, rolling his hips back and forth.

"Can I… with my fingers?" Vanitas emphasised his words with a harder dip of his fingers, the tips of his index and pointer just barely pressing their way in.

Ventus groaned, a pleasant ache building deep inside of him at just the thought of Vanitas' fingers working him open.

All he could do was nod in answer, shifting his thighs wider in silent invitation. Vanitas kissed him hard on the lips before reaching for one of his hands, leading it down between them to take over. Ventus curled his fingers around them, keeping rhythm, and Vanitas moaned softly, pressing himself further into Ventus' touch.

The first finger had Ventus gasping, his hand faltering in his movements as Vanitas watched his face intently, searching for any sign of discomfort. It was only a moment before he was adding another, pushing in deeper. Ventus relaxed with a whimper, his hips rocking, thighs shaking.

"A-Another…" He moaned, rolling his hand more firmly, reveling in Vanitas' answering groan.

"If you keep that up… I'm not gonna last," Vanitas gasped out and Ventus managed a weak, playful smile before sealing their lips together again.

"Me neither."

Vanitas sucked Ventus' bottom lip into his mouth before gently pressing in a third finger. He moved them in and out at a leisurely pace, pausing every so often to rub deep inside. Ventus shuddered, his mouth falling open. It felt _so good,_ he really wasn't going to be able to hold out for much longer. Vanitas just knew Ventus' body far too well. He still knew exactly what would send Ventus over the edge.

" _Ngh_ … We can always… go again."

At Ventus' whispered promise, Vanitas closed his eyes, an almost pained expression crossing his features. He stopped moving his fingers, his other hand leaving Ventus' hip only to comb through his hair instead. He guided Ventus' lips back to his just as he thrust his fingers in harder.

Ventus cried out softly, his hips roughly jolting forwards. His hand left off stroking them as he braced himself against the bed, his breaths coming in short, shallow pants. Vanitas swallowed it all, rolling his tongue into Ventus' mouth. Ventus could only try and steady himself, caught up in Vanitas overloading his senses. It was too much and yet still not enough. As he returned Vanitas' heated kiss, he spared a brief thought in wondering if he ever would be satisfied. In truth, he had always been addicted this, to Vanitas' hands and to his lips, to the very intensity and emotion he brought to their lives.

Just barely keeping himself together, Ventus shakily reached behind him and slid his fingers around Vanitas' wrist. Without needing anymore of a prompt, Vanitas slipped his fingers free. Ventus drew in a deep breath and pushed himself upright. He felt nervous and excited all at once, lining himself up while Vanitas hurriedly cleaned his fingers with a handful of tissues. Vanitas settled his hands back on Ventus' hips, just as he began sinking his way down.

The air in his lungs left him all at once as Vanitas slowly filled him, the man in question throwing his head back into the pillows, his fingers sliding down to grip tight around Ventus' thighs. Ventus, now fully seated in Vanitas' lap, took a small moment just to _feel._ Vanitas' thighs were trembling from underneath him and his eyes were only just open, and Ventus could have come right then and there just from the expression on Vanitas' face. He knew he was probably in a similar state, his entire body tingling with pleasure, drunk on the sensation of being so _full._ Bracing his hands on Vanitas' abdomen he began to move, rocking his hips gently before grinding down hard. They both gasped, Vanitas' hands flying up to grab at his waist, fingers harshly digging into his skin. With Vanitas holding him tight and supporting some of his weight, Ventus began moving with more purpose, lifting himself up before sinking all the way down again. _God,_ it was _amazing,_ and Vanitas' beautifully toned arms flexing as he helped lift him was something he was sure to never forget. Ventus knew if he moved too fast it would all be over far too soon and they definitely didn't want that. He set a comfortable, easy rhythm and abandoned all else, small, quiet gasps and moans escaping him with every slide of Vanitas back inside him. Chasing his pleasure, he slammed himself down just a little bit harder, more delicious sounds falling from Vanitas' lips.

"You're so _perfect…"_ Vanitas whispered up to him, one of his hands lifting to cradle the back of Ventus' neck, gently leading him back down for another kiss. Shivering from how _wrecked_ Vanitas sounded, Ventus smoothed his hands up Vanitas' chest to rub firmly over his nipples. Slowly adding more pressure, he rolled them between his fingers, his mouth leaving Vanitas' lips to press kisses along his jawline.

"Just for you…" He whispered in reply, returning to Vanitas' lips to kiss him breathless. Feeling bold, he grasped the little barbell pierced through one of Vanitas' nipples and pulled on it gently. Vanitas choked out a moan and sharply arched his chest into Ventus' touch, his eyes squeezing shut as he grabbed Ventus' ass and thrust in harder.

 _"Ahh – V-Van…!"_

Ventus lost his composure completely as Vanitas set a more desperate pace, his hips driving upwards relentlessly, reducing Ventus to a whimpering mess. The next moment he was aware of, Ventus found himself being thrown onto his back, Vanitas flipping their positions before grasping at his thighs and pulling them open. He didn't pause to allow Ventus time to adjust, his hands lifting Ventus' hips into a better angle, allowing him to thrust in deeper.

Ventus flung his arms above his head, hands tearing at the sheets as he was pushed closer to the edge. He could feel his release building, his body becoming overly sensitive to even the slightest of touches. Vanitas' grip on him was near ruthless as he pounded into him, chasing his own completion and Ventus _loved_ that, loved the thought of Vanitas losing all control. Sliding a hand down his own chest, Ventus firmly took himself in hand, matching his rhythm with Vanitas' pace.

"Van…" He almost sobbed. "C-Come in me... _. please."_

Vanitas' hips stuttered, his eyes opening just enough to look down at Ventus with something akin to worship. He moaned loudly, watching Ventus' hand working in time with his hips.

"...Close?" Was all Vanitas could get out, driving himself in deeper, one of his hands wandering up along Ventus' side, nails dragging their way down.

"Y-Yeah…" Ventus managed to gasp just as his orgasm overcame him, wave after wave of blinding pleasure leaving him shivering and gasping for breath. Distantly he heard Vanitas groaning his name and felt him curling into him, his hips trembling, pressed flush against his ass. He collapsed onto Ventus with little resistance, one of his hands threaded through Ventus' sweat-dampened hair, his broken gasps muffled into the side of his neck. Coming down from his high, his skin still tingling, Ventus brought his arms around Vanitas and held him close. He trailed lazy, open-mouthed kisses all along his neck, pressing them into his jawline and hair.

"Ven, I… I never wanted… to lose you..." Vanitas breathed, so much raw emotion choking up his voice. "You've _always_ been everything to me… _Everything."_

Ventus smiled and hid his face within Vanitas' messy hair. He tightened his arms to hold him closer, taking a moment just to breathe him in. His heart was soaring. He pressed his lips to Vanitas' ear.

 _"I love you, too."_

-0-

Ventus woke up to warmth. The duvet above him and bed underneath him were both soft and comfortable, but it wasn't that alone that was making him feel like waking up this way was the best thing in the world. Vanitas lay beside him on his stomach, one of his arms haphazardly thrown around Ventus' waist, half his face smooshed into the pillow as he soundly kept sleeping. Ventus lay on his side facing him, curled into him as close as he could manage without actually being on top of him, their heads both sharing the same pillow. Ventus didn't really consider himself an overly dramatic person, but having said that, he still felt he could have inexplicably died right then and would have _still_ been the happiest man alive. Indulging himself, Ventus carefully lifted one of his arms free so he could run his fingers along Vanitas' beautiful tattoos. Being honest with himself, he'd been wanting to do this ever since he'd first seen them, and with a happy little thrill that made him grin, he realised he now had the very privilege of doing just that.

Being careful not to disturb Vanitas, he carefully traced along perfectly curved lines that were simply remarkable in their precision, smooth splashes of vivid reds and muted blacks intimately blended into Vanitas' skin. He continued on over scattered cherry blossoms and intricately delicate, crimson chrysanthemum blooms, along the Inugami's fearsome fangs next, pausing minutely to press his fingertip into each one of its eyes. From there he slid his hand slowly up towards Vanitas' shoulder, finding a large, jagged scar he was only just taking notice of. The skin of the scar was raised and fleshy, it's appearance somewhat as gruesome as it was worrying. He hated to think of how exactly Vanitas had gotten it. He immediately felt a cold stab of fear spike through him, of somehow possibly losing Vanitas in a more permanent way now. He couldn't help hating that Vanitas was Yakuza, and that his position automatically placed him in a large amount of danger, ( _and_ by association, himself), but he knew without a doubt that he'd still rather be with him than not at all. It was going to be something that took a hard while to adjust to, but he hoped he would manage in time.

"Hey."

Ventus jumped at the sound of Vanitas' voice, still deep and slightly hoarse with the last remnants of sleep. He jerked his hand away as if burned, his eyes lifting to find Vanitas solemnly watching him.

"H-Hey," he breathed out quietly, forcing a small smile onto his lips. Beside him, Vanitas sighed before rolling onto his side as well, mirroring Ventus' position.

"I can hear you thinking." Gently, he cradled Ventus' face between his palms, his eyes searching his expression. "You're not… regretting this are you?"

He looked so vulnerable then and Ventus' heart ached.

"Never…" He whispered, wanting nothing more than to reassure him as he closed the minute space between them. He kissed Vanitas soundly. "It's just… It's not you, don't think that. It's your… _title_ I'll just have to get used to."

Vanitas watched him for a moment longer before leaning forwards to kiss Ventus again. He gave him a sad but genuine smile.

"It'll be okay. I promise you."

Ventus didn't quite believe him but he smiled wearily back at him all the same. All he could really do now was blindly trust him and fervently hope that everything would work out fine.

"Are you hungry?" Vanitas asked him, kissing him again on the lips, on his cheek, then slowly down along his jawline. Ventus tilted his head to the side, enjoying the extra attention.

"Mm, yeah. A little. But do you think we could stay here? I like it just being the two of us."

Vanitas hummed his approval, just as he sucked Ventus' earlobe into his mouth. Ventus moaned appreciatively, already feeling a lot more awake.

"I was thinking the _same_ thing..." Vanitas told him, now carefully rolling on top of him. Ventus' thighs fell open naturally.

They take it slow, Ventus closing his eyes and curling his arms around Vanitas' shoulders as they both came together again. Ventus was left seeing stars, trembling and breathless as Vanitas brought him to another mind-blowing orgasm, his body all but melting into his soft, loving embrace. Even in the shower afterwards, they still couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other, Vanitas insistent on washing his hair for him and on leaving warm, open-mouthed kisses all along his shoulders. Ventus just wanted to trace his fingers over Vanitas' tattoos for an eternity; every single flower petal, every ferociously curved ocean wave, every one of the black dragon's scales which leapt out at him, its mighty jaws hanging open with crazed hostility. He loved them all. They simply fascinated him more than anything, their presence marking Vanitas' skin only serving to make him all the more devastatingly beautiful.

It was just after midday when they finally chose to make their way outside to the rear deck for something to eat. The weather was beyond perfect again, endless blue skies above them, gently rolling waves below. Ventus lay horizontal on the lounge with his head nestled amongst its cushions while Vanitas half lay on top of him. Namine bustled between them and the kitchen, setting out a number of fresh dishes on the outdoor table in front of them. Ventus had tried to offer her his assistance, only for her to vehemently refuse him. She insisted on taking care of everything, Vanitas quick to agree with her as well, just to continue using Ventus as his own personal pillow. Namine was so ridiculously happy she was practically glowing and Ventus watched her curiously, wondering if her reason for behaving like this was _really_ because of how he and Vanitas were suddenly very comfortable with each other.

His mouth set into a thin, unamused line, Vanitas watched her too, his shoulders held far too tense, even as Ventus tried to calm him, gently combing his fingers through his hair.

"Knock it off," Vanitas griped, just as Namine completed her duties and came to a stop in front of them. She just smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling closed. In turn, Vanitas rolled his.

"If there is anything more I can do for you, please don't hesitate in letting me know," Namine informed them, offering a quick, polite bow.

There came a nearby sound of an outboard motor and Ventus turned to look just in time to see Demyx pulling up alongside them in a small, inflatable dinghy. Upon seeing them, both of his eyebrows rose in surprise before he was shooting them an ear-splitting grin.

"Mornin', boss! Fujin-sama!" Looking between him and Vanitas, Demyx gave them a thumbs up with both hands. " _Nice_."

Vanitas went completely rigid in Ventus' arms; he couldn't even hear him breathing.

"Leave. _Now._ " Vanitas grated out, tone positively murderous.

"Er, roger!" Demyx squeaked, rapidly standing to attention and giving Vanitas a sloppy salute. Namine hid a quiet giggle behind her hand before promptly stepping down onto the dinghy to join him.

Without daring to say anything more, Demyx fired up the motor before making waves back towards the security boat. Ventus watched them go, nibbling slightly at his bottom lip in a poor attempt at keeping his own amusement in check. Vanitas groaned and buried his face in Ventus' chest, and Ventus couldn't quite hold it in any longer. He laughed loudly, playfully ruffling Vanitas' hair. It was obvious Vanitas was embarrassed, but Ventus just found the entire exchange oddly refreshing. He knew it must of been hard for Vanitas just to act his age sometimes, especially with so many responsibilities and such a fearsome reputation to uphold at only 25.

"They really care about you." Ventus said quietly, idly wondering if the tips of Vanitas' ears were blushed pink from the sun or more relevant to current events.

"It's just them failing to mind their own _business_." Vanitas gruffly told him, but Ventus already doubted he meant sounding so harsh. Vanitas might have seemed irritated, but this was his _family_ he was talking about after all. It had to be at least a little bit comforting to know that the people around him genuinely seemed excited for his happiness.

With Namine and Demyx' departure, his attention now drawn elsewhere, Vanitas sat up to eat and Ventus lazily followed suit. The food, as always, looked amazing. Namine had prepared them a much lighter meal for lunch than their previous dinner, with the majority of dishes on offer being fresh salads, grilled but chilled calamari and prawns, sundried tomatoes, basil, smoked salmon and seasoned, sliced boiled eggs. Ventus poured himself a glass of fresh orange juice and hid his smile behind it as Vanitas busied himself with stabbing at one of the dishes closest to him with his fork.

Still smiling and curious, Ventus turned to look over at the security boat again. The dinghy was now lashed onto the side and empty, Demyx and Namine most likely still keeping an eye on them from inside. Ventus hoped the sea breeze would swing the yacht around the opposite way to them soon. He didn't like the thought of them watching _too_ closely.

It was almost startling for him to realise that both Namine and Demyx were just as much Yakuza as Vanitas was, (Demyx' questionable involvement aside), and yet, they were still two of the nicest people Ventus had ever had the pleasure of meeting. For an organisation with such unorthodox practices, there was certainly a lot about them that was taking him by surprise. He remembered what his students had told him, about the Ishi-kai mobilizing their resources far more efficiently than the government in times of crisis, of helping people who had nothing to give in return, with no obvious benefit to their own. Even more specifically would be the orphanages the Ishi-kai owned and looked after – that Vanitas _himself_ owned and looked after. Ventus couldn't see any sort of monetary gain in helping disadvantaged children have a better start in life, so the fact that Vanitas would go out of his way to include something so humanitarian within his 'business plan' for the Ishi-kai was truly admirable.

"I was told that you... look after a number of orphanages in the Tohoku region."

As Ventus' spoke, Vanitas hesitated for a moment, his fork poised in the air halfway to his mouth. Recovering as if nothing had happened he kept eating, glancing over at Ventus from the corner of his eye.

"And who told you that?"

"My students did, weirdly enough." Ventus casually went on, a playful edge entering his tone. "They also told me you once shut down an illegal puppy factory in Chiba. The _entire_ operation completely destroyed in one, _single_ night."

Vanitas shrugged, appearing bored. "They owed me money. It was all business."

Ventus grinned. "And the orphanages? Do they all owe you money too?"

Now Vanitas' ears were _definitely_ a few shades pinker. A terse " _yep,_ " was all he said before he was stiffly hurrying to stuff his mouth full of salad. Ventus burst into laughter and Vanitas shoved him. Ventus allowed it, effortlessly falling onto his side and stifling his laughter in the cushions. Vanitas just glowered over at him, still making a show of demolishing what was on his plate in front of him. Ventus lay there just watching him for a second, a sappy, contented smile replacing his laughter. Another thing that apparently remained unchanged was Vanitas' inability to accept praise when it was due. For a person who made a habit of making sure everyone knew how ' _bad_ ' he was, Vanitas was ridiculously modest.

"My students," Ventus went on, suddenly remembering more. "They also couldn't believe that the _infamous_ boss of the Ishi-kai was actually just some huge dork who tried using a cliché love-song to _woo_ me."

Vanitas scoffed and tried to look offended but just ended up grinning instead. He looked down at Ventus still lying there, his grin softening into something fond and Ventus' breath hitched. God _damn,_ he was so in love.

"That's still one of my favourite songs. Do you remember when it first came out?" Vanitas plucked at a nearby bowl of feta cheese before throwing a cube of it into the air and catching it between his teeth. Ventus watched him eat it, admiring the smooth column of Vanitas' throat and the bob of his adam's apple as he swallowed. He cleared his throat sharply. His mouth was just a little too dry for some reason.

"Yeah, I remember. Our senior year. You were always humming it in the shower."

Vanitas grinned at him again. "And _you_ were always humming it while you were cooking." His grin vanishing as quickly as it had come, Vanitas scowled as he picked up his fork again. "Cliché, my _ass._ Those kids wouldn't have any idea of what a classic is."

Ventus huffed a laugh, just as he reached for the edge of the table and pulled himself upright again. He picked through his salad with his fingers, drawing out a piece of sundried tomato before bringing it to his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, considering his next words.

"But… they did manage to convince me to accept your invitation to dinner. Even then, I wasn't so sure of it being a good idea, but they… told me to give you a chance."

Vanitas smiled, his expression subdued yet still warm. Humming, he closed the space between them, lightly kissing Ventus on the lips. "Guess I better thank them, then."

"And Namine. Don't forget her." Ventus added, kissing Vanitas again. "She was very… determined."

"She's meddlesome." Vanitas grumbled, rolling his eyes skyward. "I let her get away with too much."

Knowing Vanitas was only putting on a front, Ventus wouldn't exactly call Namine 'meddlesome'. Just remembering how desperate she'd been for him to hear her playing Vanitas' song and how sincere she'd been this morning especially, Vanitas' best interests always seemed to be of importance to her. And from just seeing the two of them interact, Ventus could tell Namine and Vanitas were actually quite close. Vanitas didn't trust people easily, but somehow Namine had proven herself worthy. Ventus couldn't help feeling so unbelievably happy knowing that Vanitas had someone else genuinely looking out for him.

With stark clarity, he caught himself remembering Namine shooting Vanitas a 'look' on their flight over, meaningfully shoving a glass of water into his hand. It was almost like she'd been reminding him of some previous conversation and Ventus' curiosity was piqued. Opening his mouth to ask, _another_ memory of that night suddenly pushed its way forward, of waking up in shock from some particularly violent air turbulence, only to find Vanitas sleeping soundly beside him on the opposite recliner.

"What's that look for?" Vanitas asked him, catching his expression.

"I just remembered…" Ventus murmured. "I woke up on the plane and you were sleeping in the seat next to me."

Vanitas, currently in the process of drinking some of Ventus' orange juice promptly choked and spluttered, flecks of juice bursting passed his fingertips as he covered his mouth to cough. Ventus might have been grossed out if he hadn't been so amused.

Giving Vanitas time to recover, Ventus soothingly rubbed circles into his back while Vanitas focussed on trying to breathe normally again.

"Wow… you're all red." Ventus breathed in awe, wondering if all these foreign, innocent emotions were overloading Vanitas' usually closeted senses. His face was completely red now, the flush creeping all the way down the back of his neck.

"I'm – _choking!_ " Vanitas wheezed, and Ventus couldn't help thinking how stupidly cute he was when he was flustered and wouldn't admit it.

"Why are you embarrassed? It really isn't a big deal." Ventus laughed, giving Vanitas some room. Vanitas was just breathing heavily now. He was turned slightly away, still avoiding Ventus' eyes.

"Come on, don't be like that," Ventus wheedled, wrapping his arms around Vanitas' shoulders from behind. " _Vaaaaan…"_

"I'm not embarrassed!"

Ventus snorted, clearly unconvinced. "Okay. If you say so." He kissed Vanitas' cheek, still not letting him go.

Vanitas sighed heavily. He sunk into Ventus' arms, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I just… really, _really_ hate flying."

"Wait, really?" Ventus raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that.

Vanitas just nodded. He reached forwards for Ventus' glass of juice again, taking a long drink.

"But, you seemed so… within your element. When we were in the air, I mean. I never would've guessed that."

"I usually handle it fine, but the long haul flights still get to me sometimes. I get… restless and I can't sleep," Vanitas told him, finally meeting his eyes. He looked serious, and Ventus instantly thought of how strange Vanitas had acted right before they'd parted ways that night.

"Oh… I thought you seemed tense when you were saying goodnight." At the time, he'd thought it'd been something he had done to make Vanitas uncomfortable without realising, so learning this was actually quite a relief. He squeezed his arms tighter around Vanitas' shoulders, hoping to console him.

"Well, to be honest with you, I usually just get drunk and knock myself out, but… because you were with me, Namine didn't think that was such a good idea." Vanitas huffed, his next words more an afterthought to himself than Ventus. "Some shit about me being _impulsive..._ "

Ventus realised with a small bit of wonder that Namine had actually _cut_ Vanitas _off_. Knowing that Vanitas had let her, as well, was definitely something else to be surprised about. Somehow she held far more influence over him than Ventus ever thought possible.

"So… you couldn't sleep? Because you couldn't get drunk. And because…" I _was there…_ went left unsaid as Ventus slowly released his hold on him. He felt guilty, even if it was completely unfounded. Vanitas, of all people? Afraid of _flying?_ There was just no way he could have known this.

"Well… yes, and no." Vanitas reached for his pack of cigarettes and lit one without fanfare. He puffed away on it defensively.

"I slept great… and I didn't need alcohol to do it. Because… I had you there."

He looked at him, and Ventus felt like he was falling all over again.

"Shut _up_. Not another word." Vanitas said, looking very much like a sulking teenager. Ventus laughed.

"You big softie." He teased, wrapping his arms around Vanitas' neck again. He pressed a kiss into the corner of Vanitas' mouth, dying inside from sheer happiness alone. Vanitas just grunted at him and Ventus couldn't help laughing again. It was nice thinking that Vanitas had just wanted to sleep beside him for comfort, flying sober just being a little too much for him to handle on his own. It was just another side of Vanitas that Ventus was only just beginning to see. And he _loved_ it. Loved the thought of still learning things about him.

He really had missed this, so _much._ The simpleness of them just _being_ together. He wanted so desperately for this to work, and he wasn't going to run away this time either. Inside, he knew he was still scared of what their future would hold, but whatever it took, he was at least going to try his absolute hardest.

-0-

"So, you lied to me."

At Vanitas' very obvious change in tone, Ventus sharply looked up from where he was sitting on Vanitas' black, leather lounge. Vanitas himself, was standing out on the balcony in front of him, a cigarette in hand as Demyx stood off to the side looking like a whipped dog. At Vanitas' words, Demyx hunched his shoulders and raised his hands defensively, the look in his eyes near-panicked. Ventus shifted uneasily, wondering if he should even _be_ here and still listening. Vanitas didn't usually hold 'business' meetings at his own place, which had been something of a small mercy to Ventus, but for some reason unexplained to him, Demyx was always the exception.

"I-I didn't _lie_ to you, honest! I just… _brushed_ over it a little…?" Try as he might, Demyx wasn't really helping his own case, his hands still raised in front of him as he mumbled out such a flimsy explanation. He inched away from Vanitas a step and Ventus looked back down at the unmarked assignments resting in his lap, trying his very best to focus. He should _really_ not be hearing this. Of all days to arrive early. _Surely,_ this wasn't a _usual_ thing...

"That's not what you told me yesterday. _Yesterday,_ this was no longer an issue." Vanitas hissed, his face like thunder, stabbing what remained of his cigarette into an ashtray resting on the balcony's railing. He began advancing on Demyx and the poor boy looked like he was about ready to throw himself over the railing and into the sea.

"I-I'm handling it! I said I would, r-right? It's just! Just harder than I was expecting!" Demyx squeaked, his legs shaking so badly Ventus was surprised he was still standing.

All cold, calculated purpose, Vanitas yanked him forwards by the front of his shirt, his other hand locking around Demyx' chin. Demyx whimpered pitifully but didn't try to escape his hold.

"Do you know what I do to those who lie to me?" Vanitas' voice was so quiet and calm now, Ventus felt a cold chill race up his own spine. Demyx didn't seem to be faring any better, his eyes wide and terrified as Vanitas let go of his shirt only to produce something small and nondescript out of one of his jean's pockets.

"What do you think your father would enjoy receiving more? ...One of your fingers? Or one of your _eyes?_ "

Ventus gasped so hard he nearly choked, Vanitas flicking open a _switchblade_ of all things, the menacing shine of the blade gleaming bright and silver under the afternoon sun. Vanitas raised the blade to Demyx' face and Ventus shot to his feet, his neatly stacked pile of assignments scattering everywhere.

"V- _Vanitas!"_

Vanitas and Demyx both froze, the switchblade still poised in the air beside Demyx' cheek. Almost perfectly in time, they both slid their eyes over to look at him, and Ventus starkly realised that maybe they really _had_ forgotten he was even still present. Breaking the silence, Vanitas turned more towards him, still gripping Demyx' face. He waved the blade carelessly, frowning as if offended.

"You don't need to look at me like that, Ventus, it's an empty threat."

"It _is!?_ " Demyx shrieked, his lips contorted and smooshed at an odd angle by Vanitas' fingers still harshly pressing into his cheeks.

Ventus slowly shook his head, his sheer disbelief paramount.

Breathing out an explosive sigh, Vanitas rolled his eyes and flicked the switchblade closed again.

"Fine," he bit out, releasing Demyx' face with one final squeeze. Demyx staggered away from him, carefully rubbing at his jaw with both hands. Vanitas pointed the sheathed switchblade at him and he abruptly froze, his face noticeably a few shades whiter.

"Don't you _ever_ fucking ' _brush'_ over telling me things again. You've got one more day to get it done, and if it's not, I will _literally_ eviscerate you." He shook the blade one more time for emphasis, not that it was really needed. _"Get out."_

Demyx looked so relieved he almost appeared to be in tears. "T-Thanks, boss! I promise I'll have it sorted! I won't disappoint you." He just about fell into a messy bow before turning on the spot and bowing to Ventus, as well. "Thanks to you too, Fujin-sama!"

Ventus just lifted a hand and waved his thanks off, embarrassed to be caught in the middle of all this, whatever _this_ was. He was more than certain he hadn't really done anything to help. At the very least... he _hoped_ he hadn't done anything to help. He'd really like to believe Vanitas hadn't been serious...

With a sharp snap, the double doors closed behind Demyx' retreating form and Vanitas watched him till he was out of sight. His expression was grim as he ran a weary hand through his hair. Ventus decided then and there he _really_ didn't want to know. He was uncomfortable swallowing such a strong dose of reality, realising that although Vanitas was the man he loved and had _always_ loved, right here and now, he was still the ruthless leader of the Ishi-kai. The thought was more than sobering. Thoroughly unimpressed and a little disheartened, he bent down and began gathering up his fallen assignments. Without a word, Vanitas walked over to help him. As the silence stretched, there was this irritating, lingering tension, and Ventus felt the need to say something just to break it. He couldn't quite keep his tone neutral.

"An empty threat, huh?"

Vanitas was silent a moment longer before straightening in front of him. He handed the stack of assignments he had collected to Ventus before answering.

"Something like that." He said, somewhat ominously. "He already knows better than to lie to me."

Ventus suppressed a shiver.

"Don't you think that was a little… _extreme?_ He seemed pretty sincere to me before you started _threatening_ him. I think you were too hard on him, to put it simply."

Vanitas just hummed, uncommitted, even as he stepped closer to frame Ventus' face with his hands. "I have to be hard on him. It's for his own good and he knows it."

Ventus was mostly confused, feeling like he was definitely missing something there, but then Vanitas' lips met his and he was well and truly distracted. Taken by surprise by the intensity of it, Ventus was only half aware of the stack of assignment papers once again slipping through his fingers and pooling around their feet. Vanitas kissed him harder, his lips and tongue almost demanding as Ventus let a small, startled noise escape him just trying to keep up. They slowly pulled away from each other, Ventus left dazed and panting, Vanitas too smug for his own good. Ventus glared.

"Don't… Don't think you're always gonna distract me like that."

Snorting, Vanitas threw back his head and laughed. Grabbing hold of one of Ventus' wrists, he let himself fall backwards onto the lounge, dragging Ventus down with him. They easily found a comfortable position, Vanitas lying on his back with Ventus sprawled over the top of him.

"What are you doing here so early anyway? Not that I'm complaining." Vanitas asked, combing his hands through Ventus' hair before slowly running them down his back.

"Mm, well, because it's nearly the end of the school term I've got a little more free time on my hands. My students are all getting ready to enjoy their last summer break before they've gotta come back and cram for university entrance exams."

"Ugh, I remember what that was like." Vanitas groaned. "You were a mess for months."

Ventus answered with a groan of his own. He buried his face in Vanitas' chest, soaking in his warmth and scent. "It was damn stressful, okay? We can't _all_ be gifted with brains like yours."

Vanitas made an amused sound; pressed a kiss to the top of Ventus' head. "Come on. Remind me again of who's the only one lying here with a professional degree?"

Ventus hesitantly raised his head to look at Vanitas, his chin resting on his chest instead. "Well… when you put it like that…"

"Exactly." Vanitas said, matter of fact, brushing the hair from out of Ventus' eyes. "So stop selling yourself short when you should already _know_ you're just as smart as I am."

Ventus just groaned again, embarrassed. " _Man,_ how can you say stuff like that with such a straight face? You're being too nice to me. Stop it, I can't handle it."

Vanitas hummed, his lips quirked to the side in amusement. "You want me to stop being so _nice_ to you?" As he spoke, he slid his hands down from the small of Ventus' back to the curve of his ass and squeezed. He leaned forwards slightly, murmuring onto Ventus' lips. "Are you sure about that?"

His hands sliding down further, Vanitas pressed at the inside of his thighs, encouraging him to spread his legs. He tugged Ventus upwards in the same movement, positioning one of his thighs in between his. Ventus drew in a sharp breath as Vanitas' thigh rubbed enticingly against him, just as Vanitas tilted his head to the side, pressing slow, lingering kisses all along his neck. Grabbing at Ventus' ass again, he ground Ventus down against his thigh harder and Ventus moaned quietly. It was easy to see where this was going.

Their rhythm was slow at first, almost playful, but then Ventus could feel how hard Vanitas was becoming, and all rational thought was soon a foreign concept. Vanitas lifted his head away from his neck to meet his eyes again, his own already dazed and half-lidded with arousal. He breathed softly into Ventus' mouth as the heat between them increased tenfold. Ventus leaned in for a kiss, only for Vanitas to turn his face away, blatantly denying him.

"Van… c'mon…" was all he said, his longing clear in his voice, but Vanitas just grinned lazily in response. Using his hold on Ventus' ass as leverage, he hooked his other leg around him and swiftly flipped their positions. Ventus didn't even have a chance to collect himself before Vanitas was grabbing at his thighs again and roughly grinding into him. Ventus parted his legs wider and arched his back and neck, his eyes slamming closed at such delicious friction.

"But you just _said_ to stop being so nice to you…" Vanitas whispered in his ear. "So, that's what I'm going to do."

Ventus curled his arms loosely around Vanitas' shoulders, his hips fluidly rolling upwards, meeting Vanitas' in tandem. Already panting, the tension building, he peeked his eyes open.

"No… _No_ _teasing._ I can't handle that either."

"Teasing?" Vanitas laughed deeply, causing heat to pool low in Ventus' stomach. "…Is that what you think I'm doing?"

Vanitas reached down and grabbed a fistful of Ventus' shirt, tugging it free from where it was tucked into his pants. The same hand wandered, pushing the shirt up and out of the way as his fingers explored his chest. Ventus arched into his touch, greedily wanting more.

"Tell me what you would rather..." Vanitas stopped grinding against him and instead leaned in to capture his lips. He kissed him deeply before sucking Ventus' tongue into his mouth. Ventus moaned into it, his arms reflexively pulling him closer.

"Just this?" Vanitas continued, kissing him quickly one last time before reaching for his hips again.

"Or… more of _this?"_

Vanitas held him tight and rocked their bodies together again, their hips grinding slowly as Ventus got a taste of just what exactly Vanitas was offering him. He felt like it was almost pointless in answering since it was more than obvious Vanitas already knew what he was doing to him.

"B ... Both," Ventus breathed instead, determined in not giving in to Vanitas' games. Vanitas, however, looked like he expected this. He grinned down at him wickedly.

"You can't _have_ both. So, you've got to choose…"

Ventus worried at his bottom lip. To even think of limiting himself to just innocently making out when they were both already like this was driving him half-mad, but the idea of going further _without_ kissing? That was just cruel. Frustrated, he grabbed a fistful of Vanitas' hair and tugged on it till he was sure it would sting. If it bothered Vanitas, he didn't show it in the slightest, his amused grin still razor sharp.

"Kiss me…" Ventus quietly demanded, encouraging Vanitas to lean down closer with the grip he still had in his hair. With little resistance, Vanitas let himself be pulled down, their lips sliding together once more. His eyes fluttering closed again and his hand relaxing in Vanitas' hair, Ventus tilted his head to the side and gently pushed into the kiss more, his tongue rolling into Vanitas' mouth. Vanitas was content in letting Ventus lead, kissing him slowly and deeply. With every press of their lips, every touch and taste, Ventus felt himself melting.

His legs trembling, Ventus lifted his hips in silent invitation. He craved more, _needed_ Vanitas to move, but the other man was simply a dead weight on top of him, all but pinning him down against the warm, soft plush of the lounge. Taking a moment just to breathe, Ventus broke free of Vanitas' lips and opened his eyes, questioning. Vanitas just looked ridiculously pleased with himself as he watched Ventus' expression change, the realisation dawning on him.

His eyes narrowing with renewed purpose, Ventus knew Vanitas wouldn't be able to keep this up forever. After all, it was him alone that knew better than anyone what Vanitas' greatest weakness was. He tried moving again, but ever determined to keep the upper hand, Vanitas just grabbed at his hips before pressing him down harder. Ventus felt more than saw Vanitas' grin against the side of his neck, right before he bit him. The sudden, added sensation only caused him to arch upwards again on reflex, just to have Vanitas' hands deny him all over again. Trapped, his resolve shaken even more, Ventus couldn't help the low, needy whine that escaped him. He _knew_ what Vanitas wanted from him, but he'd be damned if he was going to give in so easily. Vanitas grabbed him by the chin and tugged him into another heated kiss. His teeth sunk teasingly into Ventus' bottom lip, just as he leaned away to speak.

"What's wrong, Ven? Is _this_ not enough for you...?

Vanitas sounded so arrogantly triumphant that if Ventus could have found the strength, he would have thrown him straight off him. Vanitas slowly nipped along his jawline before biting at his earlobe and drawing it into his mouth. Ventus gasped and stifled another moan, his eyes fluttering closed again.

"...You're really gonna make me _beg?_ " He breathed out, his hips still held fast by Vanitas, his entire body nearly vibrating with the need to feel more, to end this infuriatingly slow, sweet torture.

"If you think it'll help." Vanitas murmured, reaching up to loosen Ventus' tie before deftly unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt. Pulling at the fabric, he dragged his teeth gently down Ventus' neck towards the junction of his exposed shoulder. Ventus shivered, his skin lightly dusting with goosebumps, all along his chest and arms. "But do you think I'll listen when torturing you like this is _way_ more fun?"

Ventus scoffed. He pointlessly wriggled his hips, just for good measure. He was still hard, and he knew Vanitas could feel it too. "You and I both know that you're just as impatient as I am. You won't hold out for much longer."

Vanitas grinned against Ventus' collarbone. He took his time sucking a mark into his skin there. "Doesn't matter how impatient _I_ am. I just have to make sure I outlast _you_."

Ventus wriggled again, his fingernails scratching up along Vanitas' back just a touch too harshly. "Let me up, then. I'm gonna lock myself in the bathroom and take care of it on my own."

Raising his head and meeting his eyes, Vanitas playfully narrowed his. "That doesn't sound like much fun."

Ventus hummed, matching Vanitas' expression. " _And,_ I'm gonna be _extra_ noisy about it, too."

Vanitas sighed, his smile deceptively calm. "Well. As a certified, bonafide nice guy, I don't think it would be very _nice_ of me to just leave you to 'take care of it' on your own."

With no other warning, Vanitas kissed him hard, his hips grinding downwards at the same time. Ventus made a surprised sound of approval into Vanitas' mouth, his back arching into it as he was finally able to move the way he wanted to. Vanitas wasn't holding back in the slightest either, pressing into him in just the right way, his lips almost punishing. Ventus was only half aware of Vanitas removing his tie from around his neck, his own hands preoccupied with sliding down Vanitas' waist to squeeze at his ass, encouraging him to keep moving.

Still kissing him, Vanitas trailed his hands down Ventus' arms before lifting them above his head, one at a time. Suspicious, yet still trusting, Ventus didn't try and fight it when he felt the tell-tale silken fabric of his tie being looped around his wrists. Vanitas sat up and straddled him, tightening the tie into a firm knot.

"You look good like this…" He whispered, his voice a little on the rough side now that he had Ventus exactly where he wanted him. He pushed Ventus' shirt up just enough to bare his chest without removing it all the way. His expression hungry, he ran the tips of his fingers down Ventus' sides, tucking them in just under the waistband of his pants.

Ventus pulled at the tie around his wrists, testing its strength. He could easily break free if he wanted to, but that would've just been counter-productive. All the same, he couldn't help the warm flush to his cheeks at being restrained as Vanitas smoothly slid his fingers along the bare skin of his abdomen, so close to where he wanted them most.

"Van…" He urged quietly, so done with taking things slow. He licked his lips and Vanitas tracked the movement, one of his thumbs hooking beneath Ventus' belt buckle.

" _Shh…"_ Vanitas kissed him softly. "If you want me to untie you, I will."

Ventus bit his lip. He shifted his arms restlessly, curling his fingers into loose fists. He didn't say anything while Vanitas just smirked at him. They both knew it would be the last thing he asked for.

Lifting his weight off of him, Vanitas pushed Ventus' thighs apart again, settling between them. He leaned in, his warm breath fanning over Ventus' chest as he closed his lips around one of his nipples.

" _Nngh!"_

Ventus was already breathing more heavily, his mouth hanging open, eyes tightly closed. Vanitas only continued in taking his time, paying close attention to Ventus' other nipple before moving on, his hands holding Ventus still, tight around his waist.

Ventus made another low impatient sound and jerked his hips, and Vanitas finally humoured him. Still going slow, he worked his way down Ventus' body, leaving kisses as he went, his hands lifting Ventus' hips up higher. Ventus didn't struggle as Vanitas completely lifted his lower body from the lounge, his hands supporting him underneath his thighs. He couldn't help whimpering, Vanitas' teeth sinking into the soft skin of his inner thigh, but still through the fabric of his pants. Vanitas' cheek rubbed against him as he turned his head, and Ventus could feel his warm breath ghosting over him.

Ventus threw back his head and whimpered weakly again. Reflexively, he lowered his tied hands to thread trembling fingers through Vanitas' hair, daring to apply just the slightest amount of pressure. Vanitas was _so close_ to where he wanted him, that he was almost desperate now, _needing_ him to touch him. Instead of complying, Vanitas lowered Ventus back to the lounge, one of his hands firmly leading Ventus' arms back above his head. Ventus squirmed, the pressure between his legs almost too much now, so much so he almost beginning to ache.

"...I don't remember you being this sensitive before," Vanitas told him, both of hands playing over Ventus' nipples. "...I kinda like it."

Ventus swallowed hard, pressing his chest into Vanitas' touch. "Just… h-hurry _up."_

Vanitas laughed, short and soft. "You want me to hurry up?"

Ventus could only nod, his face turned to the side and still feeling far too warm. If Vanitas wanted him to beg he was so ridiculously close to it that he couldn't help feeling embarrassed. Never had anyone ever made him such a mess so quickly like this, and Vanitas was _right_. He didn't remember being this sensitive either, but in retrospect, it really had been a while since he'd received this much attention.

"I _could_ hurry things along, but I don't really want to." Vanitas continued, his eyes bright as he drank Ventus in. "I love you like this. Love watching you fall apart."

As he spoke, his hands slid from Ventus' chest, all the way down to the front of his pants. He unfastened Ventus' belt with sure fingers, pulling it free sharply from the loops in Ventus' pants. He flung it to the floor.

" _F-Finally…_ " Ventus groaned, getting himself more comfortable.

Vanitas unzipped his pants next, pulling at them with hard, quick movements before they too were joining the belt on the floor.

" _Yes…_ " Ventus moaned. "Just like that – _please."_

He loved it when Vanitas got a little rough with him. He knew Vanitas still wanted to take things slow, to show him he was someone precious, but right now, he didn't want to get caught up in things like that. All he wanted was to make up for lost time.

Vanitas encouraged him into bending his knees, kissing along his inner thighs as he moved them further apart.

"Fuck, when you sound like that… all desperate and needy…"

He lazily bit and sucked a mark right next to where Ventus was needing him to be, his hips jerking weakly with every press of Vanitas' lips.

"It just makes me want to wreck you…"

Ventus clenched his hands above his head, silently willing himself to hold on. His thighs were shaking, chest heaving. He wanted to touch Vanitas so bad, wanted to touch himself too, but he wanted the reward to be worth it so much more. Vanitas squeezed his thighs, his fingers trailing dangerously close to Ventus' ass, and as if the floodgates had been thrown open, Ventus couldn't take it anymore.

" _Please_ , Van! Please just – t-tou–!"

Ventus cut himself off with a choked out moan, Vanitas' mouth blissfully closing around him. He gasped for breath, already pumping his hips upwards, pushing more of himself passed Vanitas' lips. He tried to take it slow, tried not to fuck into Vanitas' mouth too hard, too fast, but it was already proving near impossible. Vanitas, sensing this, curled a hand around Ventus while his other held his hips steady. He slid his mouth down further, his tongue lapping along the underside.

Vanitas groaned around him, his rhythm increasing with more vigour, and Ventus forgot himself, his arms lowering once more so he could clench his hands in Vanitas' hair. Instead of fighting him, Vanitas seemed to welcome his touch, a shiver running through him as Ventus desperately tried stopping himself from clenching his thighs around Vanitas' head.

With one last, lingering slide of his lips, Vanitas unexpectedly pulled off of him, the hand curled around Ventus leaving him too, only to blindly reach for the coffee table next to them. Vanitas fumbled with one of the table's drawers and Ventus drew in a sharp breath, recognising the familiar bottle now in Vanitas' hand.

"Oh, god…" He babbled, covering his face with one of his forearms. Things were about to become much more intense.

"Hey, don't hide your face. I want to see you…"

Ventus slowly uncovered his face again, glancing downwards as he did so. This proved to be something of a mistake. Vanitas was watching him from between his legs, the look in his eyes dark and hungry. As Ventus was caught unable to look away, Vanitas smirked at him, right before he opened his mouth to run his tongue up along the side of Ventus' length.

Ventus shuddered, a breathy broken cry escaping him. He was already trembling almost constantly from just the need to come alone. It didn't help that he knew what was coming next, knew what Vanitas was about to do to him. Just the thought of it was making him ache.

"Keep your arms up," Vanitas told him, the sound of the bottle being flicked open shortly following.

Ventus threw his arms above his head again and forced himself to relax. A little thrill of anticipation raced through him, just as Vanitas took him into his hand again and smoothly stroked him. Ventus bit back a whimper, feeling Vanitas' warm, wet mouth swallow him down again. He shifted slightly, eager to feel more.

When Vanitas' fingers finally rubbed at him, Ventus was more than ready for it. He tilted his hips at a better angle, the tips of two of Vanitas' fingers slowly sinking inside. It was a lot to take all at once, Ventus incapable of even speaking anymore, let alone forming coherent thought. Vanitas increased his pace, his fingers pressing in and sliding deep inside, his mouth moving in the same rhythm.

Ventus' arms moved of their own volition, his fingers once again finding their way into Vanitas' unruly hair. He carded them through, all the way down to the nape of his neck. He couldn't help thrusting shallowly along with Vanitas' mouth, feeling that familiar heat starting to build deep inside of him.

His fingers still buried inside, Vanitas suddenly moved, his mouth sliding free and releasing him. He surged forwards, catching Ventus by surprise. Grabbing Ventus' wrists, Vanitas shoved his arms back above his head, his fingers thrusting in harder right at the same moment.

Ventus cried out, his legs spasming, white heat spiking through him. Vanitas didn't relinquish his hold on him straight away, his grip around Ventus' wrists actually tightening as he restrained him further, stretching Ventus out along the lounge. Ventus moaned at being handled in such a way, his chest and abdomen held taut, his shoulders faintly aching.

"Oh, you want it like that, huh?"

Vanitas held him still, his fingers thrusting in harder, faster. He added a third finger with barely a pause, pressing in deeper, rubbing along that place inside that had Ventus reduced to a quivering mess.

"Van, _please…!_ I – I need to… I can't!"

"You want me to stop?" Vanitas murmured, his voice deep and low, slightly out of breath.

Ventus vehemently shook his head.

"D-Don't _sto–!"_

Ventus gasped and moaned, loud and long, finally overcome with blinding sensation. His orgasm had him shaking apart, Vanitas working him through it. He took him in his mouth again, sending Ventus over the edge. Ventus' hips left the lounge, his toes curling as the last of his climax left him boneless and panting brokenly.

"W… _Whoa."_

Vanitas grinned at him, his hand sliding along Ventus' thigh to settle comfortingly on his waist.

 _"_ Shower?"

Ventus closed his eyes, giving him a weary nod. _Never_ in his life had it ever felt like _that._

"Yeah… Shower."

Vanitas pulled the tie free of Ventus' wrists, offering him a hand before hauling him to his feet. They both lost the rest of their clothes on the way to the bathroom.

Somehow, they managed to shower quickly, ending up in the bath together shortly after. Ventus slowly sunk down into Vanitas' lap as he gently thrust up into him. Ventus moaned, the warm embrace of the water supporting most of his weight while Vanitas' hands on his hips helped with the rest.

Vanitas didn't last long, holding out long enough to see Ventus coming again before finding his own release, grinding hard as he buried a hand in Ventus' hair and moaned into the side of his neck.

Freshly dressed, they fell back onto the lounge, almost in the exact same position they had started in. Vanitas lay on his back with Ventus curled into his side, Ventus' fingers trailing lazily up and down his chest.

"You want to go out for dinner tonight?" Vanitas asked him. "There's places I know that are… you'll be comfortable at."

Ventus thought about it, understanding immediately what Vanitas meant. That wherever he chose to take him, there wouldn't be people running terrified out of the restaurant just at the mere sight of them.

"Mm, we _could_ , or… we could stay in and cook!" Ventus suggested instead, the idea of him and Vanitas doing something so domestic as cooking together much more appealing.

Vanitas didn't seem too convinced, though.

"Cook…" He said dubiously, tugging gently at the ends of Ventus' hair.

"Yeah, it'll be fun! We can make whatever you want, too!" Ventus assured him, looking up just enough to meet Vanitas' eyes.

Vanitas gave him a crooked smile before breathing out a resigned sigh.

"Okay."

They decided on making pizza, and it ended up being just as bad as they last time they had attempted it, so many years ago. Vanitas had stubbornly tried to eat it anyway, until Ventus had quickly whipped up a basic pasta dish instead.

He didn't say anything, but Ventus felt almost guilty in being this happy, knowing that Vanitas was _still_ such an awful cook.

-0-

On time, the school day only just beginning, Ventus wandered along the hallway towards his classroom, excited about getting things done. Summer break was fast approaching and his students needed his help more than ever, now that they were all getting ready to graduate and continue on with their studies in whatever university they hoped to make it into. Nearly reaching the sliding door to his classroom, Ventus smiled, hearing his students all chattering and laughing amongst themselves inside. His hand had just closed around the door's latch when a particularly enthusiastic outburst caught his attention.

"You flew him to the _Greek Islands!?"_

"Wow!"

"That's _so_ romantic!"

Ventus felt the blood drain from his face, his brain only just seeming to catch up with what he was hearing. _Surely…_ it couldn't be possible…

Horrified, he threw open the door.

There, leaning back on his hands resting on Ventus' desk, wearing a junior's male school _uniform_ of all things, was none other than _Vanitas_.

"Sir!" Some of his students greeted him in unison, but Ventus barely paid them any mind, his eyes still locked onto Vanitas who was now blankly staring straight back at him. Ventus fleetingly wondered if he'd somehow fallen and bumped his head out in the hallway and was now experiencing some sort of bizarre fever dream. His mouth worked uselessly before he managed to find his voice.

"W-What the _hell_ are you doing here!?"

"He came to thank us!" Said one of his students, bouncing in her seat excitedly.

"Please don't be mad at him, sir!" Wheedled another, many of the other girls all nodding along in agreement.

Vanitas was still looking at him, and as Ventus continued to flounder, he shot him a smug little smirk.

Ventus raised a shaking hand to point directly out the door.

"Go."

His smirk softening into an amused smile, Vanitas sighed quietly and pushed himself to standing.

"Okay." He shrugged. "I was done anyway."

" _Aww…"_ Several of the girl's cooed, watching Vanitas idly shove his hands into his pockets and amble his way over towards Ventus by the door.

Ventus narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, his posture completely rigid. He took in Vanitas' full attire, recognising the uniform from one of the boy's schools a couple blocks down.

"Why are you even wearing _that?"_

Vanitas just shrugged again. "I'm undercover. Obviously."

Ventus stared, incredulous. "This is an _'all girls'_ school!"

Vanitas' self-assured expression was back within seconds. "I had to deliver something to my sister. They didn't question it."

Ventus could barely believe what he was hearing. How in the _hell_ was this school's security so lax that they just allowed Vanitas to casually stroll in here? All without recognising him, as well!

His eyes taking on another look entirely, Vanitas leaned in closer, whispering in his ear.

"You like this…?" He plucked at the high black collar of the uniform, tilting his head to the side. "I'll leave it on for tonight if you want? _Sir."_

Reacting more on instinct, Ventus threw the binder he was holding, which Vanitas dodged flawlessly with minimal effort. His low laughter echoing, Vanitas disappeared out into the hallway, leaving Ventus flustered and more than a little red in the face.

"Whoa…"

Starting slightly, Ventus blinked a few times and looked over at his class, all of which, were now looking at him with mixed expressions of awe and wonder.

"I can't believe _you,_ our teacher, just chased Vanitas _Ishi,_ the _Ishi-kai boss_ out of our classroom." Selphie spoke up, shaking her head slowly.

"I have to admit, he's a lot more handsome in real life," Olette quietly added, offering Ventus a sheepish smile.

There was a chorus of agreement from the girls collectively, some of them even nodding their heads.

"So wait, does that mean you're like the _shadow boss_ now, or something?" Selphie burst out again, widening her eyes comically. " _He_ answers to _you?"_

"Don't be silly, that's not a real thing," lectured another girl sitting to the right of Selphie. She straightened her glasses, matter of fact. "He's _obviously_ Ishi-sama's first lieutenant."

Ventus raised both his hands, pleading weakly. "Girls, _please."_

He sighed heavily, feeling the tension drain out of him as he looked at all of their contrite faces. He couldn't help himself smiling, the absurdity of the situation not exactly lost on him. He bent down and retrieved his binder before moving over towards the door and sliding it closed. Walking back over towards his desk, he just happened to look out of the windows at the right time. The familiar mess of Vanitas' hair was just disappearing inside an inconspicuous black car, parked just outside of the school's front gates. He watched it till it merged back into the traffic and moved out of sight. Thinking back, he did recall Vanitas saying something about 'meaning to thank' his students, but never had he considered he meant literally _and_ in person. All he could really do was be grateful nothing untoward came of it, Vanitas' lack of judgement once again leaving much to be desired.

"We're… really glad it worked out for you, sir."

Ventus turned, meeting Xion's eyes. Xion smiled at him kindly and Ventus smiled back. Anything she said always sounded so genuine, and the class all apparently agreed with her too, nodding their assent.

"You look so happy!" Sephie gushed, clapping her hands to her cheeks, as if she was swooning.

Ventus tried to fight the embarrassed flush that nearly had him burying his face in his hands, but at this moment in time it really was pointless. It was only then he fully realised just how much he'd been smiling lately, how _happy_ he'd been feeling in general. Even if there were still a lot of unknowns for him to worry about, Ventus still felt that unwavering conviction deep within his heart. Being with Vanitas made him feel so ridiculously sure and _strong,_ that it made it easy for him to believe that the best moments of his life were still yet to come.

It was always just going to be the two of them, together, up against the _entire_ world.

Surprisingly breathless, Ventus laughed a little and his students all grinned back at him.

"I… I guess I am."

He _was_ happy, and he could finally look forward.

 _-Their beginning-_


	6. Epilogue

**A/N:** Holy crap, we're at the end. I can't believe a 14k two-shot spawned this 70k sequel. Absolute madness, I tell ya.

A HUGE huge thank you to everyone who ever commented, left kudos, bookmarked or just read this fic over and over. You guys are seriously amazing and I couldn't have done it without you all. I still love VanVen to bits and have many more stories planned. I hope this epilogue makes you all happy too. It's been so fun finally giving them their happy ending :)

Just to avoid any confusion, these 'pointy marks which ffn won't let me show lol' indicate Vanitas speaking in English instead of Japanese. Thanks again, guys!

* * *

 **Epilogue.**

"You're seriously sure you're doing okay? I know it's only been half a year since you left, but I know you, Ven. You stress yourself out."

Ventus smiled and huffed a quiet breath through his nose. He gripped his phone a little tighter, appreciating the genuine concern in Terra's voice.

"Honestly, everything's been… great. You know I'd tell you if it wasn't."

"I know." Terra sighed. "But this new boyfriend of yours… if he's _really_ paid off all your debts, no strings attached, I hope it doesn't… end badly."

Ventus hummed, quietly thankful Terra wasn't there to see his face. He'd always been honest with him, but going into detail about Vanitas and their history wasn't really something he could just _do_ over the phone. He was always terrible at lying and hated having to do it, but one day he'd be sure to tell him the whole story.

"I have a pretty strong feeling it won't. He's been… He's really good to me. It's hard to imagine my life without him now."

" _Wow,_ you sound head over heels," Terra laughed down the line. "Are you at least gonna tell me his name?"

Ventus laughed too, a little of his nervousness creeping through. "Ah, eventually. It's just, he's _kinda_ … a complicated guy. And his reputation precedes him a bit."

Terra hummed, and Ventus could imagine him narrowing his eyes, sceptical.

"Well, his supposed 'infamy' aside, the same rules apply. He messes with you and he messes with _me._ Don't think I won't come up there to sort him out if I have to."

Ventus laughed again, his heart fit to burst. It'd been so long since they'd caught up, he could only regret not calling sooner. Just thinking of Terra taking on Vanitas was seriously intense, though. When and _if_ Ventus ever introduced them would be another thing entirely.

"Thanks, Terra. I'll keep that in mind."

"Oh, by the way, Aqua sends her love too. She told me to tell you to hurry up and come back already."

Slouching down further into the lounge, Ventus smiled, almost hearing Terra's words in Aqua's typical mothering tone. "I promise I'll visit when I can, when the school year is over for sure. So tell her I'll be back before she knows it. Besides, I miss you guys _way_ too much to stay away."

Terra made a fond, warm sound, his amusement colouring his words. "Okay fine, but you've got to bring this mystery guy along with you. I don't care if he's rich and famous or whatever, _both_ Aqua and I _have_ to approve."

Saying their goodbyes and ending the call only a short time later, Ventus' hand still holding his phone fell limply into his lap. He stared down at it for a little while longer, a small smile playing over his lips. He absently clicked into Terra's caller ID, his friend's boisterous grin beaming up at him. He really did miss him and Aqua more than anything. It had only been five months now since he'd moved back to Tokyo, but with everything that had happened it felt like a lifetime. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much longer before they could all see each other again.

Beside him on the lounge, the black Devon Rex nestled into his side curled in closer, it's tail flicking lazily against his thigh. Being careful, he stroked a hand over its pleated fur, the cat rumbling out a pleased noise at the sudden, gentle attention. 'Boss', Vanitas' cat had been rather standoffish with him when he'd first started staying over on the regular, but the tempestuous feline had quickly taken a liking to him. Ventus couldn't say he minded. He'd never had a pet before and neither had Vanitas for that matter. Vanitas made a show of calling Boss an 'angry little shit' and acting like he didn't care, but Ventus knew otherwise. The cat was spoiled rotten, by both Vanitas _and_ Namine, and now with Ventus thrown into the mix, the cat's conditioned narcissism knew no bounds.

Ventus didn't exactly live at Vanitas' place, even though he was probably there enough for it to be warranted. As much as he enjoyed his time spent with Vanitas, he still preferred his own apartment, the questionable circumstances that had afforded Vanitas such a luxurious house in the first place not exactly sitting well with him. But Vanitas felt safest in his own home for a number of reasons and Ventus could reluctantly understand that. He knew he'd never be able to forgive himself if he ever insisted on them staying at his, only for Vanitas' life to be in jeopardy.

He was adjusting to this 'Yakuza life' well enough, as well as he could do anyway. Some days it was just plain hard. Vanitas surprisingly worked long hours and was sometimes unreachable, gone for days on end, to only randomly return in the small, quiet hours of the morning. Ventus never asked, realising with some discomfort that a very large portion of Vanitas' life was all a mystery to him. One night in particular, when Vanitas had dressed impeccably well for a 'business dinner', Ventus couldn't quite keep the disappointment off his face at once again finding himself out on the sidelines.

"They're nobodies, Ventus. It's all business, a means to an end." Vanitas had tried to comfort him, but Ventus didn't even bother hiding the fact that he hated this. Hated lying awake in Vanitas' extravagant bed in his extravagant house, waiting like some 'kept piece' for his wayward husband to come home. It certainly didn't help that he'd never gotten so little sleep in his life, not since his mother had passed, at least. The nights where Vanitas couldn't be reached were by far the worst, Ventus' mind jumping to all kinds of horrific conclusions. What if Vanitas was hurt somewhere? What if he'd been _killed?_ He tried to trust in the belief that Vanitas was more than capable of handling himself but there just wasn't any way for him to know for sure until Vanitas eventually returned and that, most of all, was slowly breaking him down.

There was a large part of him that realised he didn't have much of a leg to stand on, that this was _exactly_ what he'd signed up for when he'd agreed to try again. Unfortunately for him, the reality was proving to be a lot harder to contend with.

Despite the unsavoury aspects of their relationship, something Ventus _did_ love was how Vanitas seemed just how he used to be. Whenever they were together he was relaxed and happy, showing him every kindness. Over Ventus' summer break they had gone out on dates that had been so _normal_ he'd almost gotten whiplash. They spent breathtakingly perfect nights out in the natural beauty of Kanazawa, Vanitas booking them a room in a traditional Japanese Inn. Vanitas' status, although overlooked at these Ryokans with enough money involved, didn't benefit him at all here. Even knowing who he was, the owners would still refuse him entry to their more public baths, the stigma of his tattoos and profession barring him. Luckily their room came complete with it's own private mineral bath which suited them better anyway. Ventus couldn't say he minded, especially when Vanitas' hands wandered beneath the water, the added privacy affording them so much more.

Two months had raced by like that, a constant whirlwind of ups and downs, sharply contrasting between domestic bliss and hard-won compromise. Both Ventus and Vanitas had to re-adjust to having someone important in their lives again, but mostly, it was relatively easy for them to find balance. The more time they had, the more Ventus realised there was still so much for them to learn about each other too.

Something he'd never thought to prepare himself for was that Vanitas' guilt ran far deeper than he'd ever imagined. Agreeing to be together didn't erase the past after all, and whereas Ventus could accept that what they had wasn't exactly a fairytale romance, Vanitas seemed to be holding onto some truly self-destructive thoughts. It wasn't obvious, but if Ventus could pinpoint exactly _one_ thing that had him particularly troubled, it was when they shared a bed.

Vanitas had _never_ had nightmares. And now, he was plagued with them.

Ventus had always been somewhat of a deep sleeper but with Vanitas waking up in a panic more often than not, he was soon far too accustomed to being shocked into consciousness. Vanitas would be shaking, his chest heaving with broken gasps as he shot upright in bed. Ventus was wide awake within seconds.

"V-Ven?"

"I've got you, it's okay." Ventus would say, gently pulling Vanitas into his arms. Vanitas would cling to him, like a man scrabbling for purchase at the edge of a cliff.

"I - I hurt you. I don't deserve _any_ of this – I don't deserve _you…"_

The feverish desperation in Vanitas' voice rattled Ventus to his core. For a man who was usually so unapologetic, with so many of his walls built so high, seeing him vulnerable like this was honestly heartbreaking.

Ventus did his best to comfort him, stroking firm fingers through Vanitas' hair. " _Shh,_ it's alright now. It was just a bad dream."

" _No,_ it wasn't."

"Van–"

But Vanitas wasn't having any of it. He tore himself free of Ventus' arms.

"I've done – _terrible_ things... and you… to _you,_ I _–"_

Mostly blind in the dark, Ventus reached forwards with both hands and cradled Vanitas' face. He kissed him hard, silencing him. Vanitas panted into his mouth as they pulled away, one of his hands reaching up to loosely encircle Ventus' wrist.

"Listen to me for a sec…" He whispered, gently stroking Vanitas' cheekbones with his thumbs. "We've both… both done things we regret but it's behind us now. I love you. And I'm not… holding onto any of the bad stuff, so… you shouldn't be either."

Vanitas shuddered in a breath, his head falling forwards to press their foreheads together. Ventus wished he could see his eyes. Still being gentle, he lowered his hands to rest them along Vanitas' forearms.

"We gotta keep looking forward. Together. Okay?"

Vanitas was quiet for a long moment and Ventus finally felt him relax against him. Slowly, he shook his head, their foreheads still touching.

"I'm never... I'll never stop being sorry."

Ventus closed his eyes in sad resignation. "I know…"

He understood forgiveness wasn't about saying it was okay. It was about letting yourself heal, and the both of them needed that.

Without another word, Ventus encouraged him to lie back down, settling Vanitas' head resting on his chest. Curling an arm around his waist, Vanitas entwined their legs together. The way he was cuddling into Ventus would have been sweet if not for the circumstances. Ventus pressed a kiss to Vanitas' temple, listening to his breaths slowly evening out.

"I'm going to... fix everything…" Vanitas mumbled into his skin, already half asleep again. "Gonna show you... how much…"

Ventus had lain there awake for a long time, wondering what Vanitas had even been dreaming about in the first place for him to react so violently. There was… _a lot_ of things he didn't know about Vanitas still, especially where his past was concerned. Every time he was woken up like this, he couldn't help worrying about it, especially when Vanitas also seemed like something was really getting to him lately. When he was actually home he was even more quiet than usual, spending a lot of time in the gym downstairs, working himself ragged. Ventus had tried in vain to talk to him about the nightmares – about whatever it was that was bothering him as well, but Vanitas proved himself time and time again to be a master at being evasive.

In short, all Ventus could do was be supportive, but with a horrible sinking feeling, he was starting to wonder if that would _ever_ be enough.

Shaking himself free of his thoughts, Ventus turned his attention back to his phone. He clicked out of Terra's ID, another name in his contact list easily leaping out at him.

He hadn't heard from his father once since the revelation over his questionable parentage some months ago now. He'd almost called over a dozen times, but everytime he tried, something would hold him back. What would he even say? It was obvious from his father's silence that he'd already made his decision. He didn't consider himself Ventus' father, with or without a paternity test, and Ventus already knew this. Had for quite some time.

The day his mother had died, he'd lost his father too.

One of the first things Vanitas had done for him once they had flown back into the country from Skiathos was to transfer back the money Ventus had given him for his father's 'debts'. Being debt free was certainly a huge weight off his shoulders, (and paying Terra and Aqua back so quickly had been a welcome relief too), but just having that subtle reminder of how this had all begun in the first place, Ventus realised in some twisted way, it was actually his _father_ that had brought Vanitas and himself back together. Who knew if they would have ever crossed paths again if Ventus hadn't decided to move back to Tokyo. He'd been happy in Kyoto. At least, happy _enough._ He could have easily spent the rest of his days down there, none the wiser to what 'could' have been, in the off chance he and Vanitas ever found themselves face to face again. That didn't make the situation with his father any less of a nightmare though, especially when he remembered what Vanitas had told him. His father had willingly used him as a bartering chip, all to save his own skin.

Fighting through his bitterness and sorrow, Ventus remembered the expression on his father's face the only day they had managed to have an awkward yet decent conversation. When they had spoken of Vanitas and of Ventus being killed, in that brief moment where his father had failed to find the right words… There had been genuine guilt and shame there. Reluctantly, Ventus couldn't help but see the circumstances from his father's perspective. He had been devastated by his wife's infidelity and blind to everything else. For all of his callousness and neglect, Ventus still believed his father wasn't necessarily a bad man. Despite everything, he would have to give him that much.

His thumb poised over his father's number, Ventus sucked in a sharp breath and pressed down. It began dialling immediately. His heart beating in his ears, Ventus lifted his phone to his ear.

It rang for what seemed like endless minutes, until finally –

" _You have reached the voicemail of _. Please leave a detailed message after the tone."_

Following the recording, the message bank beeped sharply, shocking Ventus back into the moment. With a horrible sinking feeling, he realised he'd actually thought his father would pick up. The silence on the other end was urgent now as he steeled himself, his tongue feeling out of place in his mouth. Adjusting his grip on the phone he cleared his throat.

"Hi… Dad. I don't expect you to answer me… and that's okay. But, for what it's worth, if anything, I wanted you to know that I forgive you. And… And this is goodbye. I hope that you... and your wife and Kairi will be very happy together."

It was only after he had pressed the end call button that Ventus realised he was crying. It wasn't the kind of tears that came along with heartbreak, or from a loved one's untimely death. It was more of a weary relief, of finally having that closure. A much needed release of such toxic emotions he had held onto for far too long.

Unsettled beside him, Boss stepped into his lap and curled up there, his quiet purrs something for Ventus to focus on. He closed his eyes but didn't try and stop his tears, needing to let it all out. It would be the last time he _ever_ let the man he had called his father allow him to feel like this. After today, he would finally, _finally_ leave it all behind him.

The lounge suddenly dipped to his right, startling him, and Ventus peeked his eyes open just as Vanitas was reaching for him. Unmindful of the cat in Ventus' lap, Vanitas pulled him in, wrapping him up in his arms. Boss made a rather disgruntled noise before managing to scramble free. Neither of them paid him any mind, Ventus sinking into Vanitas' embrace and curling his own arms loosely around his waist. He rest his chin against Vanitas' shoulder and closed his eyes again, just enjoying the other's presence.

"...Are you okay?" Vanitas mumbled in his ear, releasing him just enough to peer into his face. Ventus smiled, lifting a hand to wipe at his cheeks.

"Yeah… don't worry. Just… finalising things with my father." He shrugged and glanced away, all too aware of the tears still clinging to his eyelashes. He trusted Vanitas with everything, but that didn't mean it was easy to show weakness in front of him. Vanitas, for his part, only seemed deeply concerned. At hearing Ventus' explanation though, his face instantly twisted into something ugly and angry. He sneered, his eyes narrowing.

"That asshole again."

With a swift swipe of his thumbs, Vanitas brushed away the last of Ventus' tears. Ventus couldn't help flinching a little, his eyelashes fluttering under the sudden attention.

"If I ever find you crying over him again he's gonna be meeting a _very. sticky. end."_

Despite it all, Ventus still managed to smile. Vanitas, although tactless, always made him feel better.

Slowly, he shook his head. "That won't be necessary. It's all over now." Just hearing himself say it out loud was so remarkably soothing. He relaxed back into the lounge, letting the last of his tension drain away.

Vanitas stayed where he was, clearly unconvinced. The look in his eyes was still dangerous. After a moment of watching Ventus though, he sighed and relaxed too. "Good," was all he said, mirroring Ventus' position.

"I'm gonna… change my last name back to my mother's again," Ventus said quietly, shuffling a little closer to Vanitas. "I think I'd like a fresh start."

Vanitas slowly smiled, his eyes warm. "That's one of the best things I've heard all day." He moved closer too and Ventus met him halfway.

They kissed softly. Ventus closed his eyes and sighed, Vanitas' lips warm and reassuring against his. It didn't matter how many times they came together like this, he was never going to get tired of it. Kissing Vanitas was synonymous with breathing now. All dramatics aside, he couldn't possibly live without it.

"So, where have you been all morning? You don't usually work Sundays." Ventus said as they settled closer together, one of Ventus' legs thrown over Vanitas' thigh. He tried not to sound so accusatory, but he honestly hated waking up alone when he wasn't expecting it. It already happened _way_ too often as it was.

Feeling Vanitas against him, Ventus only just realised how sweaty the other man was. His warm skin still had a light sheen of sweat to it and his hair was messier than usual. He was also wearing a fitted black singlet and shorts that were way too casual for anything 'business' related. Ventus himself was dressed similarly, still in his loose sleeping shirt and pants. It was Sunday after all. If they didn't make plans the night before, he would happily lounge around in his pj's all day.

"I was training with Demyx," Vanitas replied, pushing his damp hair away from his forehead. "He's still making stupid mistakes, but he'll get there."

"Huh." Ventus frowned, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What's his story anyway? Aren't you… holding him here against his will? I know you said you were 'babysitting' him, but did you seriously kidnap him?"

Vanitas gave him a look, one eyebrow raised.

"Cause I'm not okay with that," Ventus went on, crossing his arms. "He's a good kid. I think it's high time you let him go back to his father. He shouldn't be mixed up in all of… _this._ " He waved his hand around vaguely.

Vanitas couldn't have looked any less impressed. "Do you really think so little of me that you honestly believe I'm holding him hostage _and_ in service to me against his will?"

Ventus felt his stomach drop, instantly guilty. "Well… no." He sagged into the lounge, hunching his shoulders. "Sorry… for jumping to conclusions. But you _did_ say you were teaching his father a lesson…?"

Vanitas shrugged. "You're half right. Don't feel bad."

"Half right…? How?" Ventus frowned.

"It's a long story," Vanitas began, already breaking out into a grin. "But, yes, I _did_ initially kidnap him, but he's more than happy working under me now."

A beat passed, then another as they both just stared at each other. Ventus blindly reached behind him for the nearest pillow before swinging it right into Vanitas' smug face.

"W-What the _hell!?_ You made me feel guilty for nothing!"

Vanitas laughed loudly, batting the pillow away from his face. He grabbed for it on the next one of Ventus' swings, wrestling it from his grasp before hurling it across the room. Ventus watched it go, distracted, until Vanitas placed a hand on his thigh and squeezed. Blinking down at the sudden contact, Ventus looked back up at Vanitas questioningly. Vanitas smiled, all secretive. He left his hand where it was.

"Do you remember, on our night together, when I said I'd been looking for you but I'd been working under the assumption your last name was still your mother's?"

Ventus frowned, confused at the change of subject. "...Yeah?"

"Well…" Vanitas began slowly. "Even if I _had_ found you, you being in Kyoto made you almost impossible for me to reach because the southern prefectures of Japan are all under the jurisdiction of another Yakuza family, the ' _Yamashishi'_."

Schooling his features, Ventus remained silent and chewed on the inside of his lip. Unfortunately, Vanitas saw right through him. He narrowed his eyes. "You already knew that, didn't you?"

Ventus laughed awkwardly, averting his eyes. "Um, yeah. From when I was reading up on you… and the Yakuza."

Vanitas sniffed. "I had a feeling. Since you seemed so adamant that moving back to Kyoto would have you rid of me."

"What does this have to do with Demyx?" Ventus pressed on, pulling the conversation back into line. They really didn't need to rehash past grievances. Luckily, Vanitas shared the sentiment.

"When I first took over as Oyabun of the Ishi-kai, the Yamashishi thought they'd be smart and 'reclaimed' some of our most southern territories while we were still adjusting to the new order of things. Our two families had always had a long-term agreement that we respected each other's territory while Xehanort was in power, but as soon as he was dead they completely turned their backs on it." Vanitas scratched at his cheek, his expression almost bored. "So. I kidnapped Yamashishi's son."

Ventus felt his mouth fall open. "So… Demyx is…?"

"The only son of Aced Yamashishi – the head of the Yamashishi-kai."

"H… Holy crap."

Vanitas nodded before his nose wrinkled in obvious disgust. "But the Yamashishi-kai aren't like us. They may be Yakuza, but Aced's angle is more human trafficking and drug smuggling."

"Ugh." Ventus mirrored Vanitas' expression. Who would have thought some Yakuza families could be worse than others? He already knew from Vanitas that the Ishi-kai themselves mainly focussed on more 'legitimate business'. Amongst other things, their main ventures often included legal prostitution and various types of gambling precincts.

"Despite his putrid ways of conducting business, Aced is still highly intelligent." Vanitas continued. "He was keeping his wife and son a closely guarded secret until I was able to obtain the intel. What made it even better was when I went to 'collect' Demyx he had no idea at all what his father was involved in. I'm assuming his mother knew of course, but they must have wanted to keep Demyx out of it until he was at least of age."

"So… you've dragged him into this life, then. That's technically not any better…" Ventus dryly noted which Vanitas chose to ignore.

"He's only 17 at the moment, but at 18 his father would have taken him under his wing and started conditioning him to take over the 'family business' one day." Vanitas patiently went on. "Regardless of whether you join the Yakuza of your own free will or you're born into it instead you still can't escape it. Sooner rather than later he would have been _'dragged'_ in as you say."

Ventus chewed at his lip, taking it all in. "So… he just works for you now? Does his father know? I can't imagine he'd be very happy about that."

Vanitas leaned forwards and opened up one of the little drawers in the coffee table, retrieving a pack of cigarettes.

"When I first set out to retrieve Demyx, I underestimated him. He'd taken down four of my men before I had to resort to sending Namine, and even _then_ I still had to step in and subdue him myself." Pinching a cigarette between his fingers, Vanitas pulled it free of the pack before placing it between his lips. "He was only 16 and already one of the most skilled fighters I'd ever come up against. It was… exhilarating." With a flick of his lighter he sat back again and inhaled deeply on the cigarette. He blew the smoke out towards the ceiling and Ventus watched the plumes curl above them, no breeze to carry them away.

"So… what? Demyx _impressed_ you? And that's why you've kept him around?" It was on the tip of his tongue to reiterate his past argument, to insist Vanitas allow Demyx to return home if he was only keeping him in service to him because he was ' _useful'._ He honestly hated that. He really hoped that wasn't the case here.

Vanitas looked thoughtful, slinging one of his arms over the back of the lounge. "More or less. He never stopped fighting me. I liked that, too. But once I explained to him his 'position' and what his father's business actually involved he was more angry at Aced than at me for snatching him."

Out of the blue, Vanitas suddenly growled low in his throat, a sound borne of frustration as he scrubbed a hand harshly through his hair and sat forwards again. He stubbed the cigarette he'd barely had two drags of and rested his elbows on his knees.

"We're getting off topic here. You don't _need_ Demyx' life story. I'm not good at this shit!" He abruptly turned back around to Ventus and Ventus sat up straight in his seat, completely at a loss. What the hell was going _on?_ Vanitas reached forwards and took a hold of one of Ventus' hands in both of his and _squeezed,_ his eyes fierce. He looked so serious and Ventus suddenly felt very afraid at what he was about to hear.

"What I am _trying_ to get at is… I'm training Demyx because he will succeed me."

"S-Succeed you…?" Ventus repeated, more confused than ever.

"Yes." Vanitas nodded, solemn. He squeezed Ventus' hand a little harder. "Demyx… is more ambitious than I ever thought possible. Now that he understands that he cannot just rejoin his father and carry on like before, as rightful heir, he plans to take Aced's place and then combine our two families."

"So… that means..."

"I don't suffer fools, but Demyx has proven himself to be a worthy successor. With my support, he'll become the Oyabun of the largest Yakuza family in Japan. "

Ventus felt like he was going to be sick. He couldn't take this. Couldn't _stand_ it if it was just _false hope._ "What about you…? What happens to you, then? W-What are you saying?"

Then, Vanitas smiled. It was so soft and warm and full of relief that Ventus nearly burst into tears. He raised Ventus' hand still clasped between his and brought it to his mouth. He kissed Ventus' palm, speaking through the gaps between his fingers.

"I'm getting out."

Lowering Ventus' hand, Vanitas leaned forwards instead and kissed him hard on the lips. Ventus was unable to reciprocate, still locked in a state of shock.

"You. You said you could never leave." Ventus murmured, searching Vanitas' face for any flicker of uncertainty. There was none to be found. Vanitas just kept smiling at him, practically _beaming._ Still clasping Ventus' hand he interlaced their fingers, squeezing gently.

"It hasn't ever been done before but I've always made my _own_ rules. If anyone can do it, I can."

"...Holy _shit…"_

Both of his eyebrows lifting in surprise, Vanitas actually looked taken aback. Ventus _never_ used curse words unless he believed it was absolutely necessary, and _this_ moment right here, _definitely_ called for it.

Ventus threw himself at Vanitas, his arms flying around his shoulders as they both fell backwards on the lounge. With a quiet ' _oof'_ Vanitas caught Ventus around the waist, just as Ventus was half-sitting up on top of him again to grab at his face with both hands.

"Damn, I love you," Ventus whispered, smooshing Vanitas' cheeks and kissing him hard, over and over. "So –" Kiss. " _Much."_ Kiss.

Vanitas laughed, breathless beneath him, easily looking six years younger. "Not as much as I love you…" He murmured in return, leaning up for another kiss, softer this time.

The whole thing was cheesy and possibly the most overly romantic they'd ever been with each other, but that didn't stop them from giggling like a couple of highschool sweethearts when they eventually came up for air. Ventus didn't want to stop. Vanitas, perfect and _happy,_ the familiar line of his body warm against his and his arms safe and secure curled around his waist was just too amazing to properly comprehend. How had he ever thought he could be happy without this? He wanted this moment to stretch on forever.

"Don't get too excited _just_ yet." Vanitas said, his face falling into something more apologetic as he threaded one of his hands through Ventus' hair. "Demyx and I have been working towards encouraging unrest amongst the Yamashishi ranks before we can take more direct action, but it'll still be a year or more until Demyx is ready to succeed me, and even then I'll have to stay on as his second in command for another year, at least."

Ventus shook his head, still smiling and unconcerned. "That's okay with me. I just… I can hardly believe this! I never even let myself _think_ that maybe one day we'd be able to _…_ " He trailed off feeling self-conscious, reluctant in dampening the mood. He realised Vanitas 'getting out' wouldn't be easy, but that didn't mean he couldn't still be happy about it, right here and now.

"We – We should celebrate!" He said instead, his grin back in full force. "I wanna get drunk!"

Vanitas smiled up at him. "I won't say no to that." He playfully tugged at the ends of Ventus' hair. "You gonna have half a beer and want to fight me again?"

Ventus scoffed, his grin sharpening. "I don't need alcohol for that."

They both laughed, loud and carefree. Vanitas pulled Ventus back down, kissing the laughter right off his lips.

-0-

It was the end of the semester, and Ventus' school's yearly cultural festival was well under way. It was always their most popular event, many other neighbouring schools choosing to join in, as well as the community at large, all brought together for a day of thrills and fun that would carry on late into the evening. There were carnival rides and challenging side-show games of all kinds that filled the school's sizeable courtyard to capacity. A mixture of small market stalls were squeezed in between them, wherever they could make them fit. The final product was a festival full of adventure, of something new and exciting around every corner. There really was something for everyone, the student council eager in sparing no expense. Many of the stalls were manned by students, each class participating specialising in something different. There were cute cafés selling decadent parfaits and flavoured snow cones, steaming trays of takoyaki at others, fish shaped cakes filled with rich red bean or vanilla custard, and the ever popular sticky-sweet sticks of dango. Handmade arts and crafts and specialty stationery supplies stalls were also a big hit amongst adults and children alike, and with the promise of fireworks later on, the crowds of people entering the school grounds were only becoming larger as the day kept marching onwards. Two classes had even paired up to design one of the best haunted houses Ventus had ever seen. He'd actually been a tad unnerved walking through it, but he wasn't about to admit that to anyone despite some of his students snickering at him when he'd re-emerged out the other side looking ashen and pale-faced.

Ventus found himself spending the festival mostly outside, supervising his student's arts and crafts stall. The sun was warm and pleasant above them, crowds of people milling around, all smiling and laughing, enjoying the festivities. Every now and then he'd been approached by a few of his student's parents, all of them thanking him kindly and sincerely for his hard work throughout the year. Even before he'd found Vanitas, school had always been a much needed safe haven for him. So now, by just having that satisfaction of knowing he was a good teacher to his students, that he could make a difference no matter how small, _really_ warmed his heart.

Clicking open his phone, Ventus checked the time. It was just after midday and he was beginning to feel like it might be a good idea to find something quick to eat. He knew the girls looking after the stall would be okay on their own, but he wanted them all to have a break for lunch first before he too left to find something to keep him going. Startled from his thoughts, there was a sudden rapid tap to his shoulder, and curious, Ventus turned around. There in front of him was the last person he'd thought to see.

"Ventus-sama! It's great to see you! Nice crowd here today, huh?" Demyx babbled, his excited grin lighting up his entire face. Speechless, Ventus took in his attire, realising that Demyx was actually wearing some sort of school uniform he didn't immediately recognise. His black uniform jacket hung open over a white t-shirt, his pants overly baggy with a crude bandage wrapped around his messy blond hair. There was even a few scars artfully added to his face, completing the look of a… highschool _delinquent?_ Demyx immediately noticed him looking and actually spun in a neat circle, his arms thrown out wide.

"Pretty cool, huh? I look like a real badass now!"

Ventus stared at him. _This_ was the supposed prodigy Vanitas had chosen to succeed him? Seeing him acting like this, so carefree and _childish,_ Ventus could hardly believe it, that Demyx was literally a walking red herring. Who would believe that this kid would one day be Vanitas' successor? That he would one day become just as revered and feared as Vanitas was? Ventus immediately felt pity for whoever decided to underestimate him.

As Demyx finished posturing, Ventus finally found his voice. He laughed nervously, his eyebrows raised. "Demyx, it's… nice to see you, but… what are you doing here? Is that… supposed to be cosplay?"

Demyx nodded proudly. He straightened his jacket, striking another pose. "Yeah! You can tell, right? It was my idea to come undercover but I didn't expect Ishi-sama to get so _into_ it."

"Wait…" Ventus murmured. "You mean, _he's_ here _too?"_

A shock of familiar black hair catching his eye, Ventus looked over Demyx' shoulder just as the devil himself stepped through the crowd. Vanitas was truly a sight to behold. Whereas Demyx outfit was relatively tame, Vanitas had obviously chosen to go all out. It looked like he'd just stepped out of a stereotypical shoujo manga. His black pants were slung low on his hips, his pale chest _bare,_ save for the overly dramatic bandages wrapped around his entire torso. He wore a long black coat that nearly touched the ground, its collar popped, framing the chunky gold chain dangling around his neck. His hair had been styled into a 1980's pompadour, _a lot_ of gel struggling to hold it in place. What probably stood out the most was that Vanitas was at least trying to conceal his identity, a surgical mask with a garish skull print covering half his face. No one in their right mind would expect one of the most notorious Yakuza bosses to be here of all places, something Vanitas was evidently banking on. If Ventus hadn't known it was him he would have just put it all down to a very convincing costume. Even so, as Vanitas came up alongside Demyx, Ventus warily eyed the baseball bat Vanitas had resting over his shoulder. It was embedded with a handful of rusty, crooked nails, and although it completed the look, 'over the top' was probably an understatement. Ventus was starting to think Vanitas had a thing for dressing up…

He gawked openly, unable to speak.

Vanitas' eyes were shining with amusement, the only obvious sign he was enjoying this a bit too much. Ventus just continued to stare at him as Vanitas lifted a hand and pulled down one side of the skull mask, his lips twisting into a condescending sneer.

"Whatiya lookin' at, pretty boy?" He narrowed his eyes and smacked the bat against his shoulder for emphasis. "Better be careful who you're starin' at, or there's gonna be trouble."

Just hearing Vanitas' badly executed drawl had Ventus' soul promptly vacating his body. Beside them, Demyx was swooning.

"Soo _coool!"_ He squealed. "You the real MVP, boss!"

Ventus slapped a hand over his mouth and snorted, the laughter bursting passed his fingers.

"You're such a dork!" He choked out, clutching at his stomach he was laughing so hard. "What _was_ that even?"

Vanitas managed to look outraged but he couldn't hide his grin for long. He shrugged his shoulders, leaving the mask bunched around his neck for the moment. "You can laugh, but as I've been told at least ten times by now, I make a _very_ convincing gangster."

"And who are you supposed to be, exactly?" Ventus asked, getting a hold of himself as he crossed his arms.

Vanitas smirked. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the cruel, fearsome leader of the Ishi-kai. The youngest Yakuza boss in a century. A _demon_ in human form – _Vanitas Ishi."_

"So… you're cosplaying yourself," Ventus grinned, shaking his head slowly and looking to the sky above.

"Yep." Vanitas popped the 'p', matter of fact. "I look just like him. But he'd never come to anything like this." Reaching for the mask again, he snapped it back into place, hiding his face once more.

"I can't believe you sometimes." Ventus sighed, still smiling. The entire situation was so ridiculous, all he could do was just run with it.

"I'm not here to cause trouble." Vanitas told him, his words slightly muffled now.

It's been years since I've been to a festival."

Ventus just looked at him fondly. It was a beautiful thing seeing Vanitas actually capable of enjoying himself in such a simple way. They were both changing, for the better. He still couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive, though, considering where they were.

"Just don't let anyone recognise you. Please."

Vanitas gave him a tidy salute but not before rolling his eyes. "I'll go soon. I just wanted to see you having fun."

Without another word, Vanitas began wandering away, Demyx sticking close to his side. Ventus quickly reached out and grabbed his hand, reluctant in watching Vanitas leave him so soon.

"I… have a break soon. Wanna go on some rides?"

Vanitas squeezed his hand in answer before leaning in closer, his breath tickling Ventus' ear through the mask. "That even a question?"

Ventus wanted to kiss him. If only they weren't in public. He settled for squeezing Vanitas' hand back, his smile doing all the talking for him. "I'll send you a text."

"Okay. I'll wait for you." Vanitas answered, promising him so much more than just an afternoon spent at a school festival together. Ventus released him, his heart fluttering like a bird in flight.

"Cool," was all he got out before Vanitas was leaving again. Demyx threw him a playful wave which Ventus returned as he watched them go, the two so-called gangsters disappearing amongst the crowd.

An hour or so later, his students insisting he take a break, Ventus wandered back to his classroom to find his wallet. Some of the other classrooms along the way had cafés set up and workshops to participate in, but his own class had only opted to do a stall outside. Cleaning up and packing away was easier that way, an educated decision Ventus would never argue against. The classroom was empty when he slid the door open, the room quiet and still despite the activity going on in adjacent rooms and the main event in the courtyard outside.

Finding his wallet inside his backpack where he'd left it, Ventus sent a quick message to Vanitas to let him know he was free. Vanitas didn't answer right away but Ventus knew he would've seen it, so waiting in the classroom made sense. Vanitas would easily be able to find him here, especially since he'd been once before.

As if summoned, the door to the classroom promptly slid open. Ventus looked up from his phone, already grinning.

"That was fas–"

He broke off, surprised, the man standing in the doorway not who he was expecting.

Ephemera, Xion's father, smiled in at him, his hand still resting on the door.

"Mr. Fujin, it's great to see you again." He said, inclining his head towards Ventus. "I'm so glad I caught you alone. Could I… possibly speak to you a moment?"

Surprised all over again, Ventus gave him a nod. "Uh, sure. Come in. Please."

Ephemera looked relieved, as if he'd been expecting Ventus to turn him away. He entered the room with more purpose, turning to slide the door closed behind him.

Ventus felt strangely nervous, the atmosphere in the room taking on a subtle edge. Something… wasn't right, and by the look on Ephemera's face it was something substantial. Ephemera approached him slowly, his hands clasping and re-clasping a few times in front of him as he steadfastly looked down at the floor between them.

"There's… no easy way to say this." He laughed quietly, the nervousness evident in his voice. "I don't know how to… to even begin."

On guard, Ventus pulled out a nearby chair for him, gesturing for him to take a seat.

"Thank you." Ephemera took the seat gladly, sinking down into it with a small sigh. Ventus hurried to take a seat beside him, dragging his chair closer so that they shared one desk.

"Is this about Xion?" He quietly asked, some of his confusion at the situation lifting. Many of his student's parents were rightfully worried about their children's futures, and Ephemera was obviously no exception. "You have nothing to worry about, believe me. Xion is very bright and talented. I know it may seem like I say that a lot about my students but I always mean it. She's going to be accepted into one of the best universities, guaranteed." He forged on, wanting to put the other man's worries to rest. "Personally, I can't wait to see how far she'll go in life. She's... going to make you very proud."

Ephemera smiled at him. He glanced away briefly before meeting Ventus' eyes again.

"It's… wonderful of you to say that, but Xion isn't what I wanted to discuss with you. Well, it does involve her, or rather _will,_ if my suspicions have any truth behind them."

As if shocked by an electric current, Ventus instantly felt panicked. Ephemera's strange expression that day on the subway steps leapt to the forefront of his mind. He rushed to defend himself, his words nearly jumbled.

"I – I'm not sure I'm understanding you, sir–"

"Please, call me Ephemera." Ephemera interrupted, raising a hand to calm him.

Ventus swallowed hard, his train of thought derailed for a moment. "Eph-Ephemera…" he tried again, the man in question giving him an encouraging yet strained smile in return. "Before you… elaborate, I just want to make sure that you know that Xion and I's relationship has never been anything more than that of a student and teacher. I – I am not sure of what your suspicions _are_ but you have to believe me when I say that that's honestly the truth."

Ephemera looked stumped, his mouth even dropping open a little. Unexpectedly, he broke out into breathless laughter. "Heavens above! I need to speak more plainly!" Ventus didn't smile, his earlier confusion returning. Ephemera grinned, his eyes twinkling. "No, Ven, I never thought that about you and Xion, so never fear."

Ventus raised a hand between them, embarrassment colouring his cheeks. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that… that day we met in the city, when we parted ways, you had such a strange expression on your face that I _assumed –"_

Ephemera reached out and placed his hand over the top of Ventus' resting on the desk between them. Silenced, Ventus jumped at the contact, his eyes snapping down to Ephemera's hand in shock. Ephemera squeezed his hand before releasing him, the look on his face unnervingly sad now, that nervous tension from before stealing back in. Ventus waited, his hand lifting from the table to resettle in his lap.

"It's true I probably looked at you strangely, but that was mainly because… of your eyes." Ephemera murmured, searching Ventus' eyes as he spoke, as if reaffirming what he saw there.

"My… eyes?"

Ventus knew people often liked to comment on the blue of his eyes which were something of a rarity here in Japan, but he couldn't understand why Ephemera was so fascinated by them when he himself had eyes just as blue as Ventus', perhaps only a few shades darker.

"Yes. Your eyes." Ephemera said. "They were familiar to me as soon as I saw them. And it was only later on that I realised they are exactly the same... as Xion's, and it's… it could simply be an uncanny _coincidence…_ but I am hoping not."

Ventus felt himself shaking his head slowly. He was afraid all of a sudden, his confusion reaching new heights.

"I don't… I don't understand."

"Your mother, can you tell me? Was she a foreigner?"

Ventus mentally paused, thrown by the sudden curve in conversation.

"Yes. She was. An English woman."

Ephemera looked over Ventus' hair, over the features of his face closely before once again meeting his eyes. He gave Ventus a watery smile.

"And was her name… Ava Greene?"

Ventus was almost sure the entire world tilted off its axis and stopped spinning. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. Ephemera patiently waited, offering Ventus all the time he needed.

" _Yes…"_ He finally said, the single word whispered like a confession.

In front of him, Ephemera's eyes slowly filled with tears. He moved suddenly, rubbing a weary hand over both of his eyes.

"I've found you…"

Ventus jumped in his seat as Ephemera left his chair in one swift movement, his knees falling away beneath him. As Ventus watched in stunned shock, Ephemera braced himself on his hands and knees and bowed to him, his forehead pressed to the floor.

"Please, forgive me… but I have good reason to believe that you… might be my biological son."

Nobody moved.

Ventus was faintly aware of peals of laughter and loud shouts of joy filtering into the room from the festival outside as he sat there frozen, staring down at the man on the floor in front of him.

"Please, let me explain." Ephemera said, his feeble words loud in the silence that stretched between them.

"You… You knew my mother?" Ventus finally managed to say, the palms of his hands already disgustingly damp with sweat as his heartbeat kicked into overdrive.

Ephemera remained where he was, his answer spoken to the floor. "Yes. She and I worked together, for a number of years."

Ventus sucked in a noisy breath, his distress rising by the second. He wasn't sure if he was _really_ hearing what Ephemera was trying to tell him. He felt nauseous and slightly dizzy. Surely, it couldn't _be…_

"I – I can't talk to you like this, please – can you sit down again?" He tried, uncomfortable with Ephemera remaining on the floor. If this was _really_ happening, if he wasn't dreaming, he didn't want it to continue like this.

Ephemera slowly stood before falling back into his seat across from Ventus. They warily looked at each other, Ephemera waiting for Ventus to speak. Ventus remained silent, taking his time in studying Ephemera's face. He looked more closely at his eyes, over the shape of his face and his features, scrutinising his nose and the curve of his lips. He wasn't sure of whether he was just seeing what he wanted to see, but there was definitely a noticeable resemblance. Ephemera, although much older, did look a lot like _himself._

"...I thought you would be much more shocked to hear something like this." Ephemera said. He looked unsure, watching Ventus calmly scrutinising him. "Or are you just humouring some crazy old man?"

Ventus worried at the inside of his cheek. He shook his head, braving a small tired smile. "My… my father... very recently… told me that my mother was having an affair. Before I was born." He cleared his throat nervously. "Not that I ever… _expected…_ "

"I'm sorry, Ventus, truly I am." Ephemera interrupted him. "It was never my intention to upset you or your life, but once I'd met you, I just couldn't shake the feeling…. and I needed to be sure."

"You… You had an affair? With my mother?" Ventus said slowly, needing to hear more.

"Yes." Ephemera began, staring down at the table between them. He was no longer smiling, his latent shame and guilt getting the better of him. "Although the circumstances surrounding your mother and I's relationship were horribly less than ideal, I could never regret it. I… I loved her. _Very_ much. But when she fell pregnant with you, she insisted it would be for the best for us to… end it there. We both knew that – that the child she carried was most definitely mine, but I understood her reasoning." He sighed heavily, his shoulders falling. "Even now, I can't blame her. And then… when I heard she had passed on… I was all the more determined to – to find you one day. If only to selfishly set my own mind at ease that you were alright… and _happy_."

Ephemera reached out, his hand clasping Ventus' shoulder. Ventus felt himself freeze but didn't pull away, the emotion in the other man's eyes keeping him close.

"Ventus, I know it's incredibly selfish of me to ask this of you, and I know I'm not the man that raised you, but if you would let me have the honour, I would like to get to know you. I would very much love for you to be a part of my life. And I would hope also, that you could forgive me, for… for ultimately overcomplicating yours."

He released Ventus' shoulder with a light squeeze and Ventus sat there speechless. All he could do was stare at him, barely comprehending. Ephemera's expression looked grim as he looked Ventus in the eyes, still searching for that reassurance. Without realising, a single tear streaked down the side of Ventus' face.

"Um. I…" Ventus tried to get a hold of himself, his hands trembling where they lay in his lap. Finally, he managed to smile and Ephemera's face lit up in response. He looked so hopeful, his eyes welling with tears, and Ventus knew he probably looked the same.

"I think I would like that. I'd like that a lot."

Ephemera stared at him a second longer before burying his face in his hands. "You… have made this stupid old man ridiculously happy." He slid his hands away from his face to peer at Ventus again. His voice was thick with unshed tears. "You have no idea how much that means for me to hear you say that."

Ventus laughed, a strange, awkward sound. He felt… like his heart was going to _burst._ Even without a paternity test, without any other form of legitimate proof, here was a man that had a considerable resemblance to him _and_ was asking him the unbelievable – to be a father to him. When that was _all_ he'd ever wanted his entire _life_. He almost half expected this to be some kind of wild scheme orchestrated by Vanitas, but the more he looked at Ephemera's eyes, the more he was ridiculously hopeful. And sure.

"You don't need to ask me to forgive you," Ventus said, lifting one of his hands to hesitantly reach forwards. "I think I know better than anyone that being in love with someone isn't always as easy as it should be."

Ephemera smiled, obviously curious. He didn't ask Ventus to elaborate, though. "Perhaps we're quite similar in that regard?"

He reached forwards too and met Ventus halfway, shaking his hand with a strong, decisive grip. Ventus was reminded of the first time they had met, of how Ephemera had shaken his hand then as well, instead of more traditionally bowing. He liked this gesture better, the connection between them strengthened by touch alone. If this man by some stroke of misfortune wasn't actually his biological father, Ventus already felt like they could be wonderful friends regardless of that.

The thought alone had Ventus grinning in answer, his heart positively soaring.

A loud tone suddenly interrupted them, Ventus' phone vibrating with an incoming message. Blinking rapidly in surprise, Ventus released Ephemera's hand and retrieved his phone from his pocket. It was Vanitas, informing him of being on his way. On unsteady legs, Ventus stood, Ephemera quick to mirror him.

"I'm sorry, but I have to meet with someone," he said, reluctant in leaving so soon after only just discovering such a revelation.

"Of course, of course!" Ephemera inclined his head still smiling. "Don't let me keep you."

"Would you… did you want to exchange numbers?" Ventus awkwardly asked, suddenly of unsure of where to go from here. There was still so much to discuss, but right now was not exactly the best time for it. His head was still spinning. All he wanted to do now was find Vanitas and get every last jumbled thought out of his head.

"I think that would be an excellent idea," Ephemera said, removing his phone from his pocket as well. "Perhaps we could arrange to meet sometime in the near future…?"

Ventus smiled, trying his best to meet Ephemera's eyes. He couldn't shake his nervousness, but at the same time he was beginning to feel ridiculously excited. "Yeah, sure. We could do that."

Ephemera grinned, Ventus' positive response obviously encouraging to him. He made to reach out again but stopped himself short, his hands clasping tight around his phone instead. In such a short time of being around him, Ventus was starting to believe that Ephemera was quite the affectionate person.

"I haven't told her, in case I was _truly_ wrong, but Xion will be over the moon about this." Ephemera said, laughing quietly. "If I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, it was her that first made me start wondering about you."

"Wonder about what?"

As one, Ventus and Ephemera both started in surprise as they turned towards the classroom door. Neither of them had heard it open. Xion was standing there looking in, Vanitas of all people directly behind her.

"V-Vanitas!"

"Xion…"

"What are you two doing together?" Ventus choked out, his eyes racing over Xion and then Vanitas, who both looked at him like it was nothing out of the ordinary for them to be seen together. Demyx was nowhere in sight. Ephemera looked at Ventus, questioning, before he too turned back to Xion and Vanitas.

Vanitas shrugged, Ventus noticing for the first time that he'd lost his dramatic outfit somewhere and was now just wearing a red t-shirt and a black pair of jeans. His hair was back to normal as well, but he still had the skull mask hanging loose around his neck.

"We bumped into each other," Xion said with a smile, glancing at Vanitas as if sharing some private joke. They both stepped into the room, Vanitas sliding the door closed behind them.

"...And you are?" Ephemera asked, directing his question to Vanitas.

Vanitas narrowed his eyes just slightly before ignoring him in favour of looking directly at Ventus. Ventus raised his shoulders towards his ears, nervous all over again. This… would be a test of sorts. If Ephemera really wanted to be a father to him then… he would have to accept this.

"Ephemera, this is my partner, Vanitas." He cleared his throat awkwardly as Vanitas frowned, his eyes flicking between him and Ephemera. Ventus could understand Vanitas' confusion. It wasn't like Ventus made a habit of publicly labelling their relationship and it also didn't help that Vanitas was an incredibly private person. He didn't take well to strangers knowing his business.

Ephemera, for his part, didn't look disgusted or shocked at all. He raised his eyebrows, looking Vanitas over more closely.

"Partners? As in…?"

"Who is this man, Ventus?" Vanitas spoke over him, his tone sharp and guarded. He stalked further into the classroom, intent on getting in between them. Ventus quickly realised that Vanitas was probably misinterpreting his awkwardness as a cry for needing help. He was still much too overprotective for his own good sometimes, but Ventus couldn't fault him that, considering everything they had been through. He sent a silent word of thanks to whatever entity was listening that Vanitas had at least gotten rid of his nail-riddled bat along the way here. Even without Ephemera knowing exactly who Vanitas was, having him scared out of his wits meeting him wouldn't be ideal.

Unsure of what was happening, Xion followed behind Vanitas, glancing between Ventus and her father with growing concern. Intercepting Vanitas' path, Ventus grabbed his arm, willing him to stop. Vanitas paused, his eyes never leaving Ephemera, even as the man in question shuffled backwards a few steps. Ephemera didn't look frightened but he was wary, his eyebrows raised in quiet bafflement. Ventus sighed and tightened his grip on Vanitas' arm before releasing him altogether. He had to diffuse the tension before things could escalate further.

"Vanitas, this… this is Xion's father, Ephemera. And… as crazy as it sounds, he also might be… _my_ father."

Vanitas froze next to him, his eyes widening as he glanced down at Ventus. "Your… _what?"_

Ventus opened his mouth to reply but not before Xion beat him to it. One second she was standing off to the side and the next she was throwing herself into Ventus' arms.

"I knew it! I knew there was something about you!" She cried, hugging Ventus around the middle, burying her face in his chest. Ventus quickly repositioned to catch her. Only then, as Xion grinned tearfully up at him was it all finally sinking in.

Xion was his _sister._ He had another _sister!_ A sister that could actually… be a part of his life. It was all so out of the blue, but here he had found people that actually wanted him in their lives.

Watching them, Vanitas looked just as stunned as Ventus felt. Ventus smiled at him, just as Ephemera moved closer as well, clapping a hand down on Vanitas' shoulder.

"Life can be so wonderfully strange!" He said, shaking Vanitas where he stood. Ventus couldn't help laughing, watching Vanitas frown at the contact but still allowing it to happen.

"You're tellin' me…" Vanitas snorted, giving Ventus a crooked grin.

As surreal as it was, Ventus couldn't help but agree with Ephemera too. A couple of months ago, everything had been so different. And now… he had someone who loved him, had _always_ loved him, but also… a chance at having a _real_ family. He was nervous, but surely it was okay to want this – to _really_ be this _happy_.

Xion still hadn't released him, but Ventus found he didn't mind. He looked down at her, clasping her shoulders. "Let's get some lunch."

Xion looked up at him and laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah!"

-0-

Another day, another peaceful afternoon. Ventus walked hand in hand with Vanitas through the lush green of the forest surrounding them. He'd never been here before, never believing he'd have the strength, but with Vanitas by his side he'd never felt more right with the world, and by extension – right with himself. There was no better moment than now, especially with their lives set to change again, but this time around it would be for the better.

Slowly, taking their time, Ventus passed by rows and rows of tombstones, silently checking the lot numbers off in his head. As they continued on, many of the stones became more weathered, exposed to the elements over time. Here, in the older part of the cemetery, the tombstones had gently corroded, moss and leaves covering them as the Earth embraced them, just as it did with the souls buried underneath. It was beautiful in a way, the trees all around them blanketing them in a hushed, gentle silence. Finally, he found what he was looking for, his mother's name leaping out at him as he brought Vanitas to a slow stop beside him.

 _Here lies_

 _Ava Fujin_

 _19XX - 20XX_

 _We pray for our sorrows to end_

 _And hope that our hearts will blend_

 _One sky One destiny_

 _Never to be forgotten_

Smiling sadly, Ventus leaned down to place the bouquet of lilies he held in front of his mother's grave. The words inscripted on her tombstone leapt out at him as he read them for the first time, his thoughts lingering on the last line. Taken well before her time, his mother had been so loved, by so many people, and although he struggled to remember more, Ventus knew he would always cherish what he could recall of her. Her softs smiles, her gentle touch. The way she would sing to him while she was cooking or before he went to sleep. The way she would always hold him and patiently calm him, whenever a child's nightmare happened to wake him. No matter who his mother had chosen to love, no matter her weaknesses, she had always been a guiding light to him, and even now, he knew she was watching over him.

Beside him, Vanitas brought his hands together in prayer, his eyes closed in respect. Ventus watched him, full of emotion before he too brought his hands together and gave thanks as well. It only seemed fitting that Vanitas should be here with him. After his mother had died, Vanitas had been the only one to reach out to him, the only one who had made it seem like his life still held meaning. They reopened their eyes at the same time, Vanitas' hand automatically finding Ventus' once more. Ventus smiled at him, interlacing their fingers.

In more ways than one, they had saved each other. And now together, there was no more darkness – only a future _full_ of light.

"She would have liked you." Ventus said softly, reading over his mother's inscription again. "She was gentle. And kind. She always saw the best in everyone."

Vanitas scoffed quietly, squeezing their hands more tightly together.

"She would've taken one look at me and my pierced ears and chased me from the house."

Ventus laughed, a beautiful carefree sound. "Maybe. But… she would've seen how happy you made me… and that would've been enough for her to let you stay."

Smiling, Vanitas sighed and looked down at the gravestone too. His expression turned strangely serious all of a sudden as his eyes traced over Ava's name.

"Miss Greene, can you keep a secret?"

Ventus blinked in surprise, Vanitas addressing his mother directly _and_ in perfect English.

"...Since when do you speak English…?" He murmured, but Vanitas ignored him, his eyes still locked to the weathered tombstone in front of them.

"I'm gonna marry your son."

Ventus sucked in a breath, his eyes widening.

"And I'm going to make sure that he's never unhappy again."

Vanitas bowed low, his hand slightly trembling within Ventus' grasp.

"So, please, watch over us. And give us your blessing."

Fighting his tears, Ventus squeezed his eyes shut and fell into a low bow too. Before he knew it, Vanitas was pulling him upright again, his hand lifting to Ventus' face.

" _Van…"_ Ventus began, overwhelmed.

Vanitas shushed him. Their lips met in a slow, gentle kiss, and Ventus relaxed into it, his own hands reaching for Vanitas to pull him closer.

"Are you ever going to stop surprising me?" He whispered onto Vanitas' lips, kissing him again.

Vanitas smiled, his thumb stroking along Ventus' cheek.

"God, I hope not..."

" _Hey! Guys!"_

They broke apart slowly, turning to look over towards the entrance to the cemetery. Through the trees, Ventus could just make out Xion's dainty form as she waved to them, Ephemera close at her side. In one of Ephemera's hands, Ventus could see he was holding flowers. Taking Vanitas' hand, Ventus went to meet them.

"You got the results back?" Vanitas asked him, bringing a cigarette to his lips. Ventus nodded, his answering smile more than a little relieved.

"It's… Yeah. I did. Ephemera's my Dad. My _real Dad_."

"Amazing," was all Vanitas said, his expression open and warm and so very happy. "What are the odds? Seriously..."

"I know," Ventus laughed, fighting his tears again. Today was proving to be much more emotional than he'd anticipated. "I can hardly believe it. I finally have… a _real_ family."

He'd only just received the confirmation that morning, so Ephemera and Xion didn't even know yet either. It was a part of the reason why he'd asked them here today. Over the last month since Ephemera had ' _found'_ Ventus, so to speak, they had all become much closer to each other, but he'd still wanted his mother… to see them all together. For her to know that despite her mistakes, she'd still somehow made the right choices.

As they walked closer, Ventus could see another car had pulled up alongside theirs, outside of the cemetery's gates. As they watched, Namine stepped out of the driver's seat, Demyx closely following her from the passenger's side. Catching sight of them, Namine smiled so hard her eyes crinkled closed, whereas Demyx just waved wildly.

"...What are they doing here?" Ventus asked Vanitas. It wasn't that he was unhappy to see them, not at all, but with everything that had happened recently, Ventus had believed that they were both too busy to be travelling a handful of hours south to visit them.

Vanitas squeezed his hand again, his other preoccupied with lighting his cigarette. He smirked at Ventus mischievously. "It's a surprise. But it'll have to wait till tonight." He freed the lit cigarette from his lips and kissed Ventus cheek, dragging him forwards again as Ventus began to protest.

"You can't just say that and give me nothing!"

Vanitas just laughed.

Xion and Ephemera had nearly reached them now, while Namine and Demyx kept a respectful distance, waiting down beside their car. Ventus sighed and smiled, looking at each of them in turn. Such… beautiful, _kind_ people, and he and Vanitas could call them their own.

"My family… and yours…." Ventus murmured, feeling as if he couldn't possibly _ever_ be happier. "Everything's… coming together."

Vanitas smiled at him, bumping their shoulders together. "As it should."

Ventus looked at him, overjoyed to find his happiness mirrored in the one person he loved above everything else.

"Yeah," was all he could say, bumping Vanitas' shoulder back.

It was always just one step in front of the other for them now, no turning back. Ventus felt safe in the knowledge that no matter what life was yet to bring him, Vanitas would always be there, right by his side.

* * *

 **Final notes:** In a few years, Demyx takes over the family business (lol) and Vanitas stays on a bit longer to mentor him. Namine stays and becomes first lieutenant to Demyx. Demyx throws down with his father and a new age of peace and legitimacy begins for all Yakuza. Vanitas and Ventus elope and Vanitas changes his last name to Ven's. They travel on Ven's (non-crime funded) savings to Australia on a 2 year working visa and love it so much they decide to stay. Vanitas teaches boxing and MMA to disadvantaged youths while Ven teaches Japanese in a high school. They fucking live happily ever after in a modest house with a BIG tv.


End file.
